


Breaking the Beast: The Joker's Equal?

by ShadowAnn



Category: Dark Knight (2008)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Violence, Drama & Romance, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-06
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-05-25 00:04:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 40
Words: 247,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6172078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowAnn/pseuds/ShadowAnn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Has the Joker met his match in a fiery red head who's a bit on the chaotic side? Only time will tell. But the closer she gets the more she comes to realize, there was no coincidence in their meeting.</p>
<p>(Originally posted on another site. Revising chapters as I move them over.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate Joker background. 
> 
> What difference does one person make? Keep this in mind, that the addition of one soul could quite possibly change everything.
> 
> I'm always open to constructive criticism and enjoy reading what people thing. Please comment and share your ideas or questions with me.

Chapter 1  
She had had the voice in her head for as long as she could remember. Ann assumed that it was some type of split personality disorder. She never mentioned it to anyone growing up. She was smarter than that. They would have had her committed and she would have ended up in some psych ward somewhere insisting that she be let go. If that had happened, by now she 'would' have been insane.  
Granted, she had never considered herself normal either. She had a strange personality. People had called her 'eccentric' and 'morbid', but she also knew how to have fun. With her love for sarcasm and the temper and attitude that came with her red hair it was easy to get offended around her. On top of that she was very chaotic, unpredictable, and untrusting.  
Her other personality, Akira, was a bit calmer but had that same craving for excitement and the same chaotic nature.  
Ann led the perfect childhood life of a tomboy. But it had never been what she wanted. 'She' didn't even know what she wanted. All she knew was that she had wanted more. Mean while all the other girls were playing dress up with their pretty pink dolls she was wrestling with the boys and winning. This, she came to realize later in life, permanently isolated her from the females of the world and caused her no end of trouble when she was older. In high school all the preppy girls that once played with the dolls hated her and all the boys considered her nothing more than a friend. She found it much easier to be in the company with males than females because of this fact.

 

  
In middle school she formed a morbid fascination with knives and slowly started to differentiate herself away from her father. By the time she was in high school her fascination with knives turned into a fascination with swords. Her freshman year she began taking Tae Kwon Do classes and accelerated quickly. By the time she was a senior in high school she had nearly mastered the Martial Art and had been a black belt for some time. The year she turned 18 she packed her things and moved out of her suburban home with her father and left for Gotham.

When she moved her best friend, Misa, moved with her. Misa now held a position as a paralegal assistant to Gotham's new District Attorney, Harvey Dent. Ann worked a steady job at a cigarette manufacturing plant on the other side of town. Since she never did anything and she saved a lot of money and she had plenty to live on. So why did she feel so empty?

 

Her father had taught her to be smart, and she 'was' smart. Once she had moved to the city she began taking Aikido classes at a local dojo that was only a few blocks away from the small two bedroom apartment that she had rented.

 

* * *

 

 

 **Gawd its so firggin cold in this thrice damned city**. Akirah grumbled inside her head.

 

Ann ignored the feminine voice, determined not to be drawn into an argument. She had long ago learned to recognise when Akira was baiting her.

Ann had just finished her Aikido practice at the dojo and was walking home as usual. It was about 8pm and the streets were deserted.

 

As she passed by an intersection her head snapped to the right at the sound of a loud crash and gunfire. She could make out a figure running towards her in the fog that seemed to be clinging to the city. She momentarily entertained the thought of backing up around the corner but decided against it. She was just too damn curious. So she stood in her place.

 

When the figure drew nearer she recognized him as the Joker. The man that had recently been terrorizing the city. Ann smiled.  
Ann would never admit it, but she had somewhat of a fascination with the man. Everything she had seen of him so far screamed intelligence. But that intelligence walked hand in hand with destruction and anarchy. He foiled the police and Batman at every turn.

 

Knowing he was dangerous did nothing to help in her current situation. Running would be a mistake. Like any dangerous animal, running would bring out that predatory instinct. So she stood her ground instead.

 

He stopped beside her as her musings were cut off. He didn't look the slightest bit out of breath which impressed her considering he had just ran about a block in 10 seconds. He looked at her with a mild curiosity and pointed his gun at her head. Ann just stared back down the barrel at him. His stare intensified as he looked her up and down. All the way from her black combat boots, her dark jeans, black tank top, and black leather trench coat that went just below her knees, then back to her eyes. He gave an amused smile. She gave him the same amused smile back.

 

 

"Interesting." She said as if to herself. "I just love your choice of colors."  
He tilted his head slightly as the amused smile grew a bit wider. "I could say the same for you." He stepped to his left which put him slightly behind her and to the right. He was about 4 paces away. She shifted her weight and turned as he stepped while keeping her eyes on his and keeping close attention to his shoulders. (You can tell how someone is going to move if you watch their shoulders)

 

"Black is a pigment." She said barely loud enough for him to hear. He laughed that maniacal laugh that he was famous for. Just then a police man came running from the same direction as where the Joker came from. He was clearly out of breath.

 

"Gotham's police at their finest." She said letting the sarcasm drip.  
"Get back!" The winded cop yelled at her while he pulled his gun up to aim at the Joker who stepped slightly behind her more and made an emphasis on the gun in his hand.  
**He thinks your just a useless hostage!**  
_He thinks wrong._ Ann stated.

 

Ann flicked the train of her coat behind her as she stepped in the direct path of the cop's gun and calmly walked towards him. She could feel the Joker's eyes burning holes in her back as she stopped two feet in front of the cop.  
Ann tilted her head to the side. "What? Are you going to shoot a helpless civilian?" She said in a mocking tone of voice. "What the hell are you doing?" He screamed "Get out of the way!" She just smiled.

 

He made a move like he was going to hit her with the butt of his gun. Ann's training sprung into action as she instinctively ducked and brought her left hand up under the gun. Her other hand balled into a fist and punched him in the throat as her feet sprang beneath her. At the same time she twisted her left hand and claimed the gun as her own as the disoriented cop stumbled backward. Ann shifted the gun from her left to right hand and pulled the clip to inspect the bullets, completely ignoring the presence of both men.  
Just as she thought, 3 bullets were missing. That was the three gun shots she had heard from before. Curious that the Joker didn't fire back though. She slammed the clip back into the gun as the cop seemed to catch his breath.

 

"What the fuck!" he yelled at her.  
Ann held the gun a bit closer to her face and it was pointed strait up. "Awe. You didn't even have it cocked." She said as her left hand went to the gun and began pulling back gun's hammer. She then turned her gaze to him. "Oh. You should be running." There was a sharp -click- as she cocked the pistol. He simply stammered and took off in the other direction.

 

Ann turned her gaze back to the man in purple, who immediately burst out laughing in hysterics. It stopped as quickly as his laughter started and he looked at Ann more seriously. The gun that had previously been in his hands had disappeared.

"How would you like a job?" He asked in a very serious tone of voice.  
Ann calmly walked past him and stopped when they were adjacent from each other. "No thank you. I have a 'job' already." She said as she began to put the gun into her coat pocket. Only then did she notice his stance. He had no openings or weaknesses that she could see. Ann smiled because it was a similar stance as the one she carried herself in.

 

"Nice to meet you Mr. Joker." She said and began to walk on her previous route home.  
"Stop." She heard him say behind her. Ann did and shifted slightly and turned her head so that she could look over her shoulder at him. "What about the gun?" he asked. The question caught her slightly off guard, but she didn't let it show. Ann pulled the gun from her pocket. "What this?" She asked. "I was just going to file off the numbers and add it to my collection. I've never been overly fond of 9mm though." She paused and turned more to almost face him again. "Why? Do you want it?"

 

No response. His smile seemed to get slightly brighter as his gaze intensified again.  
Smiling, she slowly bent over and placed the gun on the ground then stood back up. With the edge of her toe she lightly kicked it in his direction. It slid across the pavement to come to a stop at his feet. He looked down at the gun then back up at Ann.

 

"I still don't know your name." he said with a hint of curiosity in his voice.  
Ann smiled. "You can call me Shadow." She replied with a slight bow, giving him the nickname that Misa favored for her, as she liked the darkness and could come and go as she liked.

She could tell the answer pleased him as he nodded to her. It was an obvious sign of respect in Japan. Ann did the same and turned to make her way home.

 

 _We'll be seeing him again_.  
**Yes. And soon.**


	2. chapter 2

Ann pulled the keys out of her pocket and unlocked the front door to her apartment.

**You know, he probably had us followed.**

_So_? Was her only reply.

Ann shut the door and locked the three dead bolts she had installed on the door the day she moved in. She hung her coat on a hook by the door and tossed her keys on the coffee table. Next, Ann undid her belt and pulled it off, along with the knife that was secured in a holster so as it rested against her right hip. Because of her coat no one would ever see it. She sat the belt and knife on the coffee table as well then yawned and stretched as she walked to the kitchen and cooked her some ramen.

 

Ann added various spices to it to make it the way she liked it. Then she came back in the living room with a pair of chop sticks and her bowl. Sitting down in an awkward position on the couch she lazily flicked on the tv.

 

The first thing she saw was a picture of the blubbering cop from earlier. Apparently he had given the press an exclusive interview. Not that it mattered. How many red head women lived in this city? They would have no clue as to who she was. Ann laughed to herself.

It appeared Akirah had fallen asleep inside her subconscious. She would have to tell her about this later. She would get a real kick outta it.

Ann continued to eat her ramen as she began flipping through channels. After she got bored and had finished her supper she went to bed.

 

* * *

 

 

Ann opened her eyes to see the white ceiling above her bed. Just as she did every morning. Akirah yawned which was horribly loud in her still groggy mind. Ann mentally cursed being awoken and climbed out of bed. She was in her usual black silky pajamas that had silver stars all over them. Misa had made them for her in her homec class back in high school. She did a very good job considering that they were still around after all these years.

Ann did her morning stretches' which included the splits and all that to keep her body limber and went to the bathroom to take a shower. After wards she brushed her teeth and walked back to her bedroom, still naked. Ann wasn't really a modest person. She didn't show a lot of skin when in public but that didn't make her modest.

**I bet he's watching you right now. That makes you feel giddy doesn't it?** Akirah stated all matter a factly.

_Like I care if he's watching me. I hope he gets a good show_. She replied with a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

 

Ann got dressed and made her way to the kitchen where she started a batch of coffee and began to cook breakfast. About 20 minutes later the phone rang just as she was beginning to eat. She picked it up and mumbled an acknowledgment through the egg in her mouth.

 

"Good to see your awake." Came Misa's bright and cheery voice from the other end. Ann winced at her perkiness. She was always a morning person. Ann rolled her eyes. "How would ya like to go shopping with me? I need some new pants." She asked Ann groaned.

"Shopping? C'mon Misa. I just got up." She laughed. "Oh come on! It will be fun!" she was so chipper. Ann couldn't disappoint her. "Fine." she replied. The shriek of excitement from the other end made Ann wince again. "Ok. I'll be over in about half an hour." Ann hung up without saying bie.

What a 'perfect' start to the day. After Ann finished eating she brushed her hair and put on her usual makeup. Foundation, sparkling green eye shadow, and eye liner was the only thing that adorned her face. By that time Misa had already arrived and was knocking at the door.

Ann put on her belt and knife and grabbed her coat then headed out the door. She shrugged into her coat and locked the door behind her. Misa said hi in her usual chipper voice. Ann just looked irritated and grumbled something inaudible. Misa laughed and strolled down the stairs and to her car. Ann followed at a slow pace.

When Ann reached the bottom of the steps she noticed something out of place. To her right was a man leaning up against the wall of the building reading a newspaper. He was clearly trying to blend in. Ann scoffed. Surely he can do better than 'that'. He pulled the paper to cover his face when he saw Ann looking right at him with a blank look.

 

She felt like being a bit mischievous, plus she wanted to pick on someone for her rotten mood. So she strolled over to him. He looked a bit concerned at having seen her walking his way. "Hello there." Ann said in a faked happy voice.

 

* * *

 

Jokers POV

He was in the abandoned building across the street watching as she confronted his henchman. She was standing 'awfully' close to him and he looked like his balls had just been cut off by the expression of fear on his face. She wore a smile.

Joker saw her say something to the man and his eyes got wide and he shook his head. Immediately her friendly smile faded and he jerked. Joker watched him hesitantly pull out his cell phone and call someone. Just then Joker's phone rang.

Oh I see.

He answered. "Umm… boss?" The man on the other end sounded like he was shivering in a pool of his own frozen blood. "I have a message for you…. From the girl….."

"Go on." Joker said in an annoyed tone.

"Ummm. She says that you can have her followed all you want….. b-but I'm doing a terrible job at it." The smile had returned to her face as he continued. "She says she wishes to make a respective request."

"What is it?" Joker asked with the same annoyed tone. I swear I have the patience of a friggin saint.

"Umm….Sh she says that you may enter her house if you wish, but asks that you leave everything intact. She also asks that her friend not be harmed or brought to into this in any way."

 

Joker groaned. "Is that it?" he asked. His patience with the idiot was wearing thin.

"Yy yes."

"Tell her that I respectfully agree to her respectful request." Joker could hear him tell her in the back ground what he had said. Joker hung up and watched as in a smooth motion she turned and began walking towards her less than happy friend.

As she walked Joker saw her pull back the side of her trench coat. He caught the glimmer of a dagger being placed into its sheath before her coat fell back into place. The man she had just finished threatening looked all 'too' relieved.

 

In a swift motion Joker pulled out his gun and shot him right between the eyes as 'Shadow' was just about to get in her friends car. Her head jerked to his position as her friend screamed bloody murder.

 

* * *

 

Ann's POV

As she was opening the car door she heard a gun shot. Ann realized that the man shadowing her had just keeled over dead. She snapped her head to the building across the street. On the top floor at a window over looking the scene was the Joker. His eyes locked with hers. It seemed like everything went in slow motion. It was like electric was passing from his eyes to hers.

She gave him a look that said: 'O yeah?' as she realized Misa was freaking out and on the phone with the police.

Great. Ann thought.

**Not great! If the cops interview you then they might realize you were the same girl from last night.**

The Joker watched as Ann grabbed the phone from Misa and smashed it to the ground. There was no one else who had witnessed it but her and Misa. She formed her thoughts quickly.

"I was never here. Understand? Meet me at the mall when their done questioning you and I'll explain everything." Ann gave one final look at Joker.

She glared as if to say 'you hurt her and I'll make you pay' he gave her a look back and Ann could almost hear him say 'I'm a man of my word'

With that Ann bolted around the corner of the building and through a series of allys. After she was far enough away from her apartment she slowed her pace and headed for the mall.

**Do you think she'll do what you said?**

Has she ever questioned my judgment before?

**No**.

 

 

* * *

 

Jokers POV

He watched her bolt from view. The two more inconspicuous people shadowing her moved from their place in the ally on the opposite side of her building to follow.

He decided to make his own way out of there and took a fire escape on the back side of the building. He walked about 3 blocks and watched the police survey the scene and release the friend.

After everyone had left about an hour later Joker walked to her apartment and picked the lock. This aught to be interesting…..


	3. chapter 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two hours after her little escapade in the streets by her home Ann was sitting in a coffee shop at the mall listening to Misa freak out. She was quieter about it this time though. Ann was clearly annoyed, but not at her. She did nothing wrong.

Ann had already explained the entirety of her encounter with Joker the night before and that he had agreed to leave Misa alone.

"I don't understand why he followed you though!" She said in a hushed but frantic voice. "Why couldn't you just let him kill the cop by himself and then be on his way?" Ann groaned

"Because 'his way' of killing the cop would probably involve me playing the desperate little hostage. By taking down the cop myself I probably saved his life and my own."

"You have a point. But what are you going to do?" she asked in a calmer manner. It seemed she was starting to relax.

"Well, I could just wait for him to lose interest in me." Ann stopped and thought about it. Who was she kidding? If he lost interest he'd probably shoot her. And the way he was, she doubted that he would ever lose interest in a person like her. She was almost exactly like him except she didn't cause havoc where ever she went and murder people for no reason. She had no regards for killing. But only if she needed to.

 

Misa's thoughts seemed to echo Ann's and she scoffed when she repeated what Ann had thought about the Joker losing interest in her. Ann shrugged it off.

"Ima let things run their course like I usually do." Misa frowned at her and Ann gave her a sardonic face and stuck out her tongue. She was in no mood to argue.

Misa sipped on her coffee as did Ann. After that she proceeded to drag Ann around the mall buying clothes. She had enough to dress a small army by noon.

Finally, after she was convinced that they had been in every clothing store at least once they decided to leave. The only piece of clothing Ann bought was a red tank top and a new sports bra. She did however find a very exquisite knife. It was a Japanese style knife called a Tonto with a black sheath and handle. There was no hand guard, but in the pommel was a purple gem the size of her eye as well as one on the scabbard.

Ann didn't really know why she had bought it. It was folded steel, which was hard to come by in America. Ann told herself it was just another collector's piece.

Ann told Misa that she would rather walk home and Misa gave her a look like 'seriously'? Ann told her bie and headed for her apartment. She had stuffed her new clothing items as well as the knife in her coat pocket. You would be surprised how handy that coat is. Everything fits in it's pockets.

When Ann got home half an hour later she plopped herself down on the couch lazily and groaned. "What a way to start the day." She mused aloud to herself. Grumbling she hung her coat on the hook and fixed some lunch.

She knew all too well that the Joker had probably already been here and gone by now. True, he could very well 'still' be here. She really didn't care. Ann finished eating her two sandwiches on the couch and thought about what else she should do today. She was in a horrible mood.

**What do you usually do when your in a bad mood?**

_Threaten some one._

**And**?

Hit things.

**There you go! Let's go to the gym and beat a few people up.**

 

She decided to go for it. And was about to head out the door when the phone rang. "Un-fuckin-believable!" Ann stormed to the phone and picked it up.

"Ann? Did you make it home ok?" Came Misa's worried voice from the other end

"No, I got hit by a car and I'm in the hospital." Ann said sarcastically. Immediately she regretted it as Misa started freaking out again.

"Misa come on! I'm talking to you on my house phone! I'm fine….. Yes I'm sure….. No you don't need to come over….. I'm goinna go to the gym for awhile. Catch you later." Ann hung up on her as she heard Misa get a little frantic on the other end. Ann just rolled her eyes and headed out the door.

Ten minutes later she was at the gym. Not the Aikido gym, but the one where people just go to work out. It was only a block away from her house so Ann was a frequent customer. Especially when she was pissed off.

Ann had her own locker that she kept a change of clothes in. It was a combination lock so she didn't have to worry about keys. Ann hung her coat in the locker and changed from her normal outfit to her sparring one which consisted of a really tight pair of black workout pants and a tight tank top much like the ones she usually wore.

After putting her normal clothes in the locker she brushed her hair back into a pony tail and headed to the main room. There were the normal workout machines all along the edges of the big room. In the center was a decent sized boxing ring.

Ann passed by the water cooler and heard someone say "Uh oh. She's back. Someone's goinna get their ass handed to them." Ann turned to see Duane standing by the cooler.

Duane was like her rival in here. He was the only person that could stand up to her in the ring. He was taller than Ann by a few inches and had short brown hair. His sarcasm matched hers as well. A workout with him was great because they pushed each other and made each other mad.

"Hey! Wanna go a few rounds?" Ann asked in an excited tone. This was great. She hadn't had a good workout for some time. He agreed and they made their way to the ring. They had to wait about 10 minutes for a couple of guys to finish beating each other up but after that they had the ring all to themselves.

"So you wanna go tap out with no gloves or you wanna go free style boxing?" Ann asked. He frowned at her "That depends on if you were in a bad mood when you walked in here." Ann just laughed. "I'm still in a bad mood." "Ok then, I'm going to go with tap out, cause it makes your blood boil." Ann stuck her tongue out and they climbed into the ring.

People had begun to take notice of their presence and Ann heard one guy make a bet with someone else. This always happened when her and Duane sparred. Ann decided to let him make the first move.

He came at her with a punch that he knew she would either dodge or intercept. She decided to intercept it and using her Aikido training she joint locked his arm and swept his feet out from under him. He 'oofed' as his back came into contact with the floor of the slightly springy mat.

Ann backed up and circled as he got to his feet and came at her again. This time he feinted with his foot, acting like he was going to kick her in the side with a round house kick, but at the last second he dropped his foot and turned it into a sweep.

Ann jumped over his foot and landed in a crouch as she felt his other foot fly by her head. Before she had time to counter he was inside her barricade and had wrapped his arms around her midsection trying to hold her arms in place.

She smiled "This is goinna hurt." She swiftly pulled her feet up under her which threw him off balance and he began to fall forward. He didn't have enough time to catch himself. Just before they both crashed to the floor Ann extended her legs and caught herself. Ann twisted a little and his grip on her broke as his face slammed into the ground.

Ann immediately jumped on him and put him in a head lock. She could hear him muttering curses as he tried to pry her arm away. It didn't work. There were several people crowded up against the ring by now and Ann herd a few of them cheer as she squeezed his neck a bit more. His struggling intensified. Finally after what seemed like forever he let out an annoyed sigh and tapped the floor of the ring. Ann released him and got off his back.

"You know, I should really start making bets on myself. You could make me a shit load of money." He laughed at her comment and they climbed out of the ring to give someone else a turn. Ann went to the water cooler to get a drink as he followed her.

After they both cooled off Ann decided to go for the punching bag awhile. After about half an hour had passed Duane made his way over to her.

"Hey, you wanna go out to eat? My treat." He said as she stopped hitting the bag. "Sure. So what is this? My payment for winning?" Ann said in an amused tone. "Something like that." He replied

"Oh, um, by the way, I think you have a visitor." He pointed to the door way. Ann looked in the direction he had indicated to see a very annoyed looking Misa glowering at her. Ann rolled her eyes and made her way over to her.

Before Ann could even get a word out she stammered "You hung up on me! And then you prance all the way down here knowing full well-" she cut herself off "You know what a pain in the ass it was to find you? I went to both your Aikido gym and your house and the gym that has a pool and and… I'm hungry!"

Duane spoke up with his usual sarcastic humor "Hi Hungry. I'm Duane. Nice to meet ya." He extended his hand towards Misa who looked annoyed. Ann busted out laughing her ass off at the look she was throwing him. He smiled and shook it off.

"I was just asking Ann if she wanted to grab a bite. Care to join us?" he asked in a light tone. Ann was still trying to contain her laughter. "Peachy." Ann heard her mumble as she made her way to the locker room.

Ann showered and changed then proceeded to the main room again to find her 'dearest' friends.

 

* * *

 

 

The diner they went to was quiet and the food was delicious. It was several blocks away from the gym. Duane had given the girls a ride in his car. Misa had left her nice shiny BMW parked at the gym after Ann assured her that no harm would come to it. Probably.

During dinner Duane flirted uncontrollably with both of them. Ann felt a little awkward that he was trying to pick up one of them not caring which one he ended up with. His main focus was on her though. Ann had always sensed that he had a thing for her. But Misa was having a good time.

Ann could tell it had been awhile since she was able to relax and unwind. Her job at the District Attorneys office kept her pretty busy lately. Especially since Ann's newly acquired 'friend' had came to town about a year ago.

**I bet he's watching you. He's probably jealous.**

Jealous? Of what, my hair?

**No. Jealous of lover boy over there flirting it up with you.**

 

Ann glanced over at Duane.

You don't 'really' think that do you?

**Would I say something if I didn't think it worth saying?**

Ann winced. She was right. Perhaps his interests in her went beyond 'a fun game.' In Ann's thoughts she hadn't even realize that she was spaced out and that Duane was waiving his hand in front of her face.

 

"Huh?" Ann jerked her head up. Misa's laugh came from across the booth they were sitting in. "it looks like she's spacing out on us." She said. "Yeah. Am I really 'that' boring Ann?" Duane said with a pitiful looking pout on his face.

"Oh! No. Not at all. I was just lost in thought." They both laughed and moved on with the conversation that they were having. Turns out Joker had decided to blow up a bank and that 'just so happened' to be what the conversation was about. Ann noticed that Misa was a bit uneasy but she kept talking none the less.

Ann just stared out the window and tried to ignore them. Every so often she would pick up something about 'him' and her thoughts would go haywire for a brief moment before she got them under control.

Do you think he would do something to hurt Duane?

**I don't know…. He did seem 'awfully' interested in us. And he did follow us home.**

 

I know he won't hurt Misa. He gave me his word. But I didn't bother asking him to leave all my friends alone. He isn't bound by his word when it comes to Duane.

**And you seriously trust the word of a psychopathic killer clown?**

I do. I'm not sure he's psychopathic. His promise seemed genuine. And there was the way he carried himself.

**What the hell does that have to do with anything?**

Everything. His stance was a lot like mine, remember? If he is schooled in a martial art that would mean that he was instructed in the ways of honor as well. Granted that was probably 'before' he started blowing people up and terrorizing Gotham. I wonder where he comes from. What's his story?

**What ever it is, I'm sure it's going to be a good read.**

Ann smiled at her joke. She always made her laugh. Ann had decided that she wanted to walk home. Misa pleaded with her but she declined Duane's offer for a ride. So Misa walked with her back to her car.

She was a bit freaked out because it was late and they were in a bad part of town. Ann was confident in her abilities however. Ann ignored her constant complaints and worries. Several times Ann caught a glimpse of someone following them out the corner of her eye, but she never got a good look at who it was.

They were half way back to the gym when they passed an ally. Ann glanced inside like she had at the last 20 or so that they had already passed. Ann saw nothing and was about to keep going when a man sprung out from the other side of a dumpster and brandished a gun at Misa. Her eyes got wide.

"Don't scream." Ann told her as she stepped between Misa and the gun. Ann heard Misa shift to stay behind her as the man walked a half circle around them keeping the gun aimed on Ann's head. He walked forward, intent on backing them into the ally way.

Misa stepped back just as he had planned and Ann had to move back also to keep him from aiming at her.

Gawd she's making this difficult!

The man hadn't gotten close enough for Ann to make a move yet. He was staying well out of her range. Ann knew if she made a move for the gun she might not have enough time to get to him before the trigger fired. Either she would get hit or Misa would. Ann wasn't going to risk Misa being shot because she wanted to walk home.

"Gimme your money and jewelry! Anything valuable!" Ann scoffed "Does it really look like I have money? Would I be in a dump like this if I did?" she lied The man frowned and put his finger on the trigger.

Ann noticed Misa had gotten behind the dumpster. That's was the first smart thing she'd done all damn day.

"Ok. Ok. Lemme get my wallet." Ann said and took a step towards him as she reached behind her and grasped the hilt of her knife. At that moment Ann heard the click of a gun being cocked behind her and the man's eyes left her for a moment.

Ann sprung forward and plunged the knife in his stomach with her right hand as her left hand went to his gun. Ann pulled the knife from him and twisted into a crouch facing away from him as she brought her knife across his arm just below the elbow. The gun was instantly in her grip as she aimed for the person carrying the second gun behind her.

Ann was an instant from pulling the trigger when she realized it was the Joker. Ann slowly stood up and lowered the gun. But he didn't do the same. He fired and Ann flinched only to realize he hadn't shot her. Ann turned to see the mugger with his brains blew open. He had a second gun in his hand that he was probably about to use on Ann.

Her gaze went back to Joker as she watched him lower his gun. Ann tossed away the gun that she had claimed from the mugger and wiped her knife on the back of his shirt then slid it back into it's holster.

Ann realized Misa was freaking out again. She was on the ground and was stumbling backwards trying to get away from him. "It- its him!" Ann heard her say.

"Oh for Christ's sake. He's not going to eat you."

**Oh no. Cannibalism is far from his jurisdiction.**

_Shut up._

"Thank you." Ann said to him. He cocked his head to the side with a smile. "For?"

"For saving me." she replied

"Just returning the favor." His smile grew a bit wider. "Besides, I couldn't let that be the end of your story. I haven't had time to write it yet." He burst out laughing.

Ann smiled at his sense of humor. "I go my own way." By now Misa had regained some composure and was standing next to Ann but was back a ways. She looked like she was about to make a mad dash for it at the first sigh of trouble.

Ann suddenly remembered the black and purple knife she had bought at the mall earlier. She had left the clothes at her house but the knife was still in her pocket. Ann noticed briefly that the gun in his hands had disappeared again.

He was standing about 6 paces from her with a curious look on his face. It was as if he was trying to read her. Waiting to see how she would take her leave. Ann reached her hand in her pocket and pulled out the knife. She tossed it to him and he caught it with out missing a beat.

He looked it over in his hand. It was clear that he liked it. His eyes flashed back to Ann with a quizzical look on his face. "A gift for a friend." Ann said. "I figured I would run into you again."

The smile on his face grew wider as he put the blade in his pocket. Once again Ann noticed his stance. She made a mental note of exactly how he stood and filed it away for later analysis. Suddenly it looked as if he had made his mind up about something.

He never said a word as Ann slowly turned and walked out of the ally. Misa's eyes got wide for a moment when she realized her protection was leaving and she scurried after her. Ann walked at her normal pace and listened behind her. She heard his footsteps following them.

Misa was clearly about to lose her head and Ann prayed silently that she didn't do something stupid.

 

Just follow my lead Misa.

Ten minutes later they arrived at Misa's car at the gym. Ann hesitated. He was still following them, or rather her. Misa opened her door and gave Ann a look. "I'll be fine." Ann said and looked at her sternly as if to say 'get out of here before you blow this whole thing sky high.'

She got in her car without a word and drove off. Ann turned her gaze back to Joker. "You plan to follow me everywhere?" She asked. She was a bit worried about going home. Ann was definitely not getting any sleep tonight.

She saw his eye brows raise as if he were saying 'and what are you going to do about it?' she sighed. What a wonderful fuckin day. Ann continued to walk towards her house.

His pace quickened now that Misa was gone and he walked beside her. He must have been waiting for her to leave. He knew his presence was freaking her out.

They reached the door to her apartment and she pulled out her keys. He leaned against the door frame as Ann unlocked the door. He was so close to her it almost caused her pain. Ann was nervous as all hell. She swung the door open then gave him a look. "Good night?" She said. She still didn't move. It was like his eyes were trapping her there.

He tilted his head ever so slightly. "Goodnight, my little Shadow."

Wait. Wait. Wait. Did he just call me his?

**It would appear that way.**

Ann was just about to walk through the door when his hand shot out and took her wrist. Ann stopped and looked down at his hand on her wrist then back up at him. She didn't exactly know what to do. She couldn't very well slam the door in his face. He would rip the place apart if it pleased him. So she just stood there and waited. Neither of them trusted the other.

Just being near him made the air seem thick and tense. He had her off guard. She wasn't in the proper stance to defend herself because he had stopped her forward movement. And his hand was penetrating her shield of defenses. He knew this. There was no other explanation.

Ann felt her heart beat quicken as he stepped forward. They were only a few inches apart. This was definitely an invasion of her personal space. Now his whole damned body was past her shield. All he would have to do was push and she would end up flat on her ass.

Ann backed up a step to gain some room and he followed. She felt her back come into contact with the frame of the door. There was this euphoric feeling in her gut. It was like little butterflies were chasing each other. Ann's face showed no emotions but her heart and head were both screaming at her. Her common sense told her to either get away from him or keep calm. Akirah was screaming, telling him to kiss her. Her head was going 3 different ways at once.  

 

His body pressed against hers and she vaguely noticed that his hand had left her wrist. His left arm snaked around Ann's waist and pulled her into him. Like they could get any closer.

His free hand caressed her face and he bent down and kissed her. Her eyes widened drastically then they slowly began to close of their own free will. Ann realized she was kissing him back. She didn't even care to try and diagnose why. Her mind just sort of flitted away like one of the butterflies in her stomach.

His lips were soft. She felt him pull at her waist and he deepened the kiss. His hand was now on the back of her neck and her arms were resting on his shoulders. This was her first kiss? Holy shit!

He stopped kissing her just as quickly as he had started it. Ann felt the pressure of his body against hers ease and she opened her eyes. Suddenly she realized what had happened. Her face felt like it was on fire and her eyes got rather wide again. Ann turned away. There was no way she could look at him now. She was way too embarrassed.

**WHOOT WHOOT!**

O my God. O my God. O my God.

About that time she heard the phone ring. Ann turned to look back at him. "I better get that. If I don't then she's likely to call the police."

He just smiled. It looked strange. Not like the usual smile she had seen him wearing before. It looked….. different? Like he was just waiting for her to realize something. Nothing seemed out of place so Ann shrugged it off.

He reached up and brushed the side of her face. "I'll see you later." He turned and strolled away. Ann watched him walk away and realized her gaze had drifted to his butt. She jerked away and shut the door.

Suddenly she remembered the phone and ran to pick it up before Misa really did call the cops. Ann didn't tell her about the kiss. She figured she would fill her in later. She told Misa that he walked her to the door and just left. She seemed like she didn't buy it but she didn't press the issue any further. Ann was pacing the floor in her living room while she drilled her about weather or not Ann should consider moving out of town.

Ann told her she wasn't moving anywhere. Besides, he would probably just follow her. When she finally got her to let her off the phone she threw herself down on the couch. She was so frazzled that she hadn't even taken her coat off yet or locked the door. She took off her coat and hung it by the door. Then locked said door. It was already 10 o clock and she had to work in the morning. So she took a quick shower. The whole time she was paranoid as all hell. When she was done she changed into her pajamas and laid down to go to sleep.

The next two hours were spent trying to go to sleep. She jumped at every noise. Ann just couldn't get him out of her head. Finally she drifted off to sleep at around midnight.


	4. chapter 4

Joker's POV

 

This aught to be interesting.

He swung the door open and strolled inside. It looked like any other house that he had ever broken into. There were some differences though. The walls of the living room were red and there was black and silver trim around the top. The curtains on the windows were a silver color. There weren't any pictures of family anywhere. There was, however, a picture of her friend on the table next to the couch. The couch was black leather. There was a dark wood coffee table in front of it. Instead of pictures of family there were pictures of dragons on several walls. There was long black shelf on the wall across from the couch. Various glass and metal dragons rested on top of it. 

The kitchen was all black and grey tile. Upon inspecting the place a bit more closely he realizes that there were weapons hidden everywhere. The majority of them were knives. There was a knife behind the tv, one stuck in the wall behind a pair of curtains, one behind the cushions of the couch, one under the couch, one under the mail on the dinner table, one in plain sight on the coffee table, multiple knives in the kitchen, there was even one in the bathroom. While in the bathroom he was curious. He lifted the lid to the water reserve for the toilette and sure enough, there was a 357 revolver in a plastic bag. He replaced the lid on the toilette.

The bedroom's decoration was the same as the living room. The first thing his eyes landed on when he strolled into the bedroom was the sword on the desk to the left of the door. It was exquisite. From looking at it he could tell that the blade was folded steel and it was double pinned. He wasn't sure but the handle might have been genuine eel skin. He didn't touch it. He knew this was 'Her Sword'. The only one that meant anything to her. In the days of the Samurai, a person's sword was considered their soul. It was the only thing that mattered. This one sword was probably more sacred to her that anything she had ever known. It would have been an insult to touch it. Normally he wouldn't give a shit and take what ever he wanted anyway. But 'she' was different. He had respect for her. He had also given her his word that everything would remain intact.

The bed, curiously, had black satin sheets spread across it. He walked along the edge of the bed and traces his hand along where he pictured her body lay. "This is where she sleeps." In the bedroom he also found 2 knives taped behind the headboard of the bed, 2 under the mattress, a number of throwing stars and throwing knives that had been slung into a wall who knows how many times, nun chucks hanging at various places on the walls, and countless swords under the bed and in the closet. None of the swords even compared to the one on the desk. 

In a glass display case hanging on a wall was a collection of very nice knives. At the top of the case was a 1978 Japanese Bayonet from World War 2. The knives in this case were all collectors' items. They were held against the red velvet backing by silver pegs. The majority of weapons on display in the case were knives but there were several rare guns that were polished and shiny. All of the spaces were full except 1 space for a knife. He smiled as an idea began to form inside his head. Each and every weapon was in excellent condition. He sauntered his way back to the kitchen and took a peek inside her fridge.

"Nothing strange in here."

He closed the fridge. He did a quick scan around the kitchen looking for anything unusual. In the corner of the wall sitting on the counter was a small box that resembled a separate cabinet. He walked over and opened it.

"Lookie, Lookie." He said to himself as he pulled out a fifth of Jack Daniels black label and a shot glass with the name Shadow inscribed on it in black and red letters. "Mmm. Someone likes her whiskey." Upon inspection of the cabinets he found several shot glasses. There were three or four regular shot glasses, two double shots, and several wine glasses. He looked in all the cupboards and drawers. Behind one door he found a stash of wine. Most of it was red wine but there was a bottle of sparkling white wine. He inspected the bottles and found one open and half gone. The rest were unopened. "Awe. No champagne?" He laughed at apparently nothing. He put the half empty bottle back and closed the cabinet.

He went to the living room and sat on the black leather couch. He stretched out and let himself relax in her personal space. He knew she favored the couch over the black leather recliner that was situated across the room. He could see why. It was comfortable.

He had been relaxing on her couch for about half an hour when his cell phone rang. The man on the other end reported that Shadow had left the mall and was headed back for her house. He ended the call and sighed.

"What to do? What to do?"

He decided to leave before she got back instead of waiting for her to return. He got up and left her house. He had already made sure that everything was exactly how it had been before he had entered. He also made sure that the door was locked behind him. He trotted to the building across the street and waited in the same spot as before.

A mere 20 minutes later and she came home. She had an annoyed and tired look plastered on her face and he briefly wondered if he was the sole cause of her frustration. He watched her every move. He saw her unlock the door and hang her coat on the hook. He watched as she flung herself over the arm of the couch that he had been sitting on earlier and laughed. She was basically hanging upside down. She looked extremely annoyed when the phone rang just as she was about to head out the door. He watched her patronize whoever was on the other end and hang up. She proceeded to throw on her coat and walk out the door. He quickly exited the building and followed her.

Keeping up with her wasn't difficult. She only walked about a block when she turned and entered a gym. He watched from an ally across the street as she sparred with a guy that she seemed to be familiar with. He noticed people taking bets when they started sparing. She won easily. He was genuinely impressed when she brought up her legs to throw the man off balance. Not only was she cleaver, but she was street smart also. He was really beginning to take a liking to this girl. He could do so much with her.

After she was finished sparring she got a drink and went to the punching bag. The way she took all her aggression out on the bag was ravenous. It was like she was dying to hit something. She threw a lot of kicks at the bag which made him suspect that she had taken a more basic Martial Art in the past, like Karate or Tae Kwon Do. She definitely had experience with Aikido, although how much he couldn't tell.

After she had been at the bag for awhile he noticed a very new and expensive looking BMW speed up to the gym. He automatically wanted to blow it up. He hated those impressive business man cars. He almost burst into tears with laughter when he realized that Shadow's friend was the one driving the car. She looked extremely pissed off and he guessed that she was the one Shadow had hung up on earlier. As she stormed inside and began arguing with the man behind the front desk he noticed that his main attraction was talking to the guy she had sparred with. The man was obviously into her. He glared from across the street in the ally he was watching from. Not many people walked around this neighbor hood because of the gang activity, so he was almost completely safe from detection. He had the suspicious feeling that his little Shadow was going to be taking a car ride soon so he called one of his henchmen who came by with one of the many vans that they had procured.

20 minutes passed and he was sitting in the van in the parking lot outside a diner. Apparently the man had asked the ladies to dinner and they agreed. The insolent prick was flirting in a most obvious way with both of them. It made his blood boil just to watch. He wanted so badly to walk in a blast the insolent kid into oblivion. But that would almost definitely ruin his plans with Shadow. He wanted to do things differently with her than he had in the past. She was definitely something special. He didn't want to ruin her.

He was pleased to see that she was ignoring his attempts to flirt with her. Eventually he gave up and chatted it up with her friend. She was ignoring them for the most part. She continuously stared out the window of the diner, looking into an endless void that he couldn't see. It was clear that she was seriously thinking about something.

After she refused countless times to accept a ride home he dismissed the man in the van and followed her and her friend, whom he now knew as Misa. He also knew his Shadow's real name as Ann or Annie. Both Misa and the idiot called her a different one. He decided to stick with Ann. It was clear to him that Ann was wishing for the sake of her sanity that Misa would take the ride. But of course, she didn't.

He noticed that Ann was walking in front of Misa. He also noticed that Ann was scanning each ally that they passed by for signs of danger. She was on her toes. When they were just past the half way mark back to the gym and Misa's car he realized that they had stopped in front of one of an ally. Ann's attention was clearly occupied by something so he walked closer so he could get a better view of the scene from across the street. He watched as Ann stepped between Misa and the man with the gun. He was trying to back them up into the ally so he could either rob them or rape them. Joker knew that his Ann was perfectly capable of handling the situation but he wanted to jump into her day anyway. So he back tracked to the last ally as quickly as he could and then went around the back of the ally that they were in. He watched as the scene unfolded and when he thought that the man might actually shoot her he cocked his gun. Joker knew she heard it. So did the mugger. His attention waivered from her for just a moment. A moment was all it took. Instantly she attacked and he ended up releasing his gun to her and falling onto the ground in a bloody pool. She had continued her motion and brought the gun to aim at him. Joker had his gun pointed to the man on the ground. Joker knew he wasn't dead when he moved and slowly pulled a second gun from the inside of his coat.

At seeing Joker, Ann stood and let the gun drop to her side. He pulled the trigger and ended the miserable mugger's life. She flinched.

Had she actually thought that I shot her? Joker thought in silent amusement.

She turned to see the second gun in the man's dead hand and realized that he had saved her life. She tossed the gun that she had ruthlessly taken to the other side of the ally.

I think you know the rest from there…..


	5. chapter 5

The next morning Ann woke up at about 6:15 am. She had to be at work at 7:30. She groaned. I hate mornings. She got up and took a quick shower then did her make up. She got dressed and walked to the kitchen where she popped a few instant waffles in the toaster. Ann layered them with syrup and butter then dug in. When she was done eating she looked at the clock. It was ten till 7. I'm goinna be a bit early. Ann put on her coat and walked out the door. She made sure to lock it behind her as she walked to her car.

Ann's car was a black 1969 Camaro with 2 red racing stripes going from the hood all the way to the spoiler. She had fixed it up all on her own. It was standard with 5 gears on the floor. She was an expert at driving it. The day she finished it she took it for a grand spin around the town. The cops didn't have a chance at catching her. They never even got to read her license plate. Ann had gotten it as a present to herself for her 22nd birthday 3 years ago. With all the money she had stock piled in a safe in her closet from working and saving she didn't even need to take out a loan. She bought it with strait up cash. Ann smiled while looking at her beautiful car. Too bad she hadn't been in the mood to drive it a lot lately. Ann glanced to the building across the street where the Joker had been watching her yesterday morning. She smiled when she saw him sitting on the floor by the window watching her. 

Ann got in and turned the key and just sat for a minute listening to the engine.

I wonder if he knows anything about cars. 

With that she backed out of her parking spot then shifted into first. She cast one final look to the window to make sure he was still watching her. Ann burnt rubber all the way down the block then sped away like her ass was on fire. 

  


* * *

  


Work went well and she actually got off a bit early. She was surprised her day wasn't worse. The only thing she could think about was the kiss the Joker graced her with the night before. 

She kept rolling around the implications over and over in her head. Had he done that to screw with my head? Confuse me? Or was it something deeper? Did he actually care or was it something darker? 

**How about all of the above?**

Your not helping. 

  


Ann decided to grab a snack on the way home so she went by a taco bell that wasn't to far out of the way. She ordered a crunch wrap and drove home. She was in a better mood after work than she was before. She didn't drive as reckless as she had on the way there. There wasn't any need to. She wasn't running from the cops or trying to impress the Joker. So she drove at a fairly decent speed. 

Ann had considered racing in the midnight drags several times but driving for money just didn't sit right with her for some reason. Driving the way she did was about having fun and feeling the power of the engine, not about money.

She arrived home and parked in her usual spot. After locking her car she went to the door of her apartment and unlocked the door. She didn't even bother to look and see if 'he' was watching her. She hung up her coat and dropped the bag of food on the coffee table. Going to the kitchen she grabbed a Dr. Pepper out of the fridge and then went back to the living room. 

Plopping down in her usual spot on the couch she flicked on the tv and dug into her food. When she was finished she balled up her trash and threw it over her head. She knew it had landed in the trash can even before she heard the rustle of the trash bag. 

Ann bent over and un tied her boots and set them next to the door. As she was about to turn around and relax back into the couch, something caught her attention. She stood up and cautiously looked around. It didn't seem like there was anyone still inside the house, but she knew he had been here. 

She walked to the object on the dining table across the room. In the middle of the table was a box that was wrapped in shiny purple wrapping with a green bow on top. The box was as long as her arm from elbow to wrist and about 5 inches wide. Next to the box was a piece of paper. She cautiously picked up the note and read it. 

  


My Dearest Shadow, A gift for a 'friend'. 

Enjoy. -J 

  


Her heart almost burst and she beamed with excitement. Ann sat the note back on the table and reached for the box.

Wait? You don't think this is a trap or something do you? Like a bomb? 

**If the joker wanted you dead then I'm pretty sure he would do it himself and not use a bomb.**

Yeah, your right. 

  


She picked up the box. It was heavy. Almost like there was a small brick under the paper. Ann walked over to the couch and sat down. She slowly pulled on the end of the green ribbon that formed a bow and then proceeded to unfold the purple paper.

The box reminded her of the ones you get when you buy jewelry. Its surface was a purple felt. She opened it slowly and gasped at what she found inside. It was the most beautiful knife she had ever laid eyes on. The whole thing was a very shiny silver. The sheath had roses etched into it. The etchings formed a complex pattern that she could have stared at for hours. The handle looked like it had been wrapped with a silver metal cord from the pommel to the hand guard. The blade and sheath were curved like it came from Arabia or Europe. There was a silver chain that looped from the pommel to the hand guard. The whole thing was just under a foot long. 

Ann slowly pulled the blade from its sheath and her eyes grew wide as she saw the etching on the blade. It read : My Shadow 

  


**Awe. Look at that! Who knew he could be so sweet?**

Just then there was a knock at the door. She frowned. It wouldn't be Misa. She was likely still at work. Ann put the blade back in its sheath and put it back in the box. Then she went to the door. 

She opened the door to see the one and only Joker leaning against the door frame with a smile plastered on his face. "Mmm. 'Hi'" He said in a suggestive way as he looked her up and down. She suddenly remembered the kiss from the night before and felt her face turning red. 

Her mind left her body for a minute. He seemed amused, "Aren't you going to invite me in?" 

"Oh. Umm sure." She backed up and opened the door a bit wider. 

  


What the hell is he doing to me? I can't friggin think strait! 

  


**It's called an infatuation, sweetie.**

  


He walked inside and Ann shut the door. He walked up to her and pulled something out from behind his back. Her breath caught in her lungs as he held up a single red rose. 

Ann smiled. It was a genuine smile, not the ones she faked to make Misa happy. She delicately took the rose. As she wrapped her fingers around it a thorn pricked her and she jerked. 

Ann shifted the rose to her other hand and looked at where the flower had bitten her. The index finger on her right hand was bleeding. She began to walk to the kitchen to wash the blood off. Joker followed her silently.

Before she could reach the sink, however, she felt his hand on her shoulder and stopped. She slowly turned so she could see him. He silently took her hand and looked over her finger. Ann's heart skipped a beat as he slowly brought her bleeding finger up to his lips and began tenderly suckling on the wound. 

The whole time his eyes never hers. His gaze was intense. She felt her breathing get deeper as his tongue continuously flicked across her skin. Her knees got a bit weak and a deep ache settled in her groin. She was afraid she was about to start shaking. He started to walk forward and she instinctively backed up. After a few steps her butt met the kitchen counter and she could go no further. 

  


O my God. O my God. He's going to kiss me again! 

  


**He's testing you. Why don't you test him?**

  


Ann let Joker finish nursing her finger. If he was paying attention then he probably saw the shift in her eyes as her mood changed to a more aggressive one. But he probably would think nothing of it. As he released her hand she reached up and ran her fingers along the edge of his green vest. She was testing the waters. She wanted to see how far she could go. 

He looked down at her hand then back to her. He leaned in with a deeper stare and placed his hands on the counter to either side of her. His forehead was up against hers as his body pressed against her. He must have sensed a change in her because he was staring into her eyes. It was like he was trying to read her again. He wouldn't find her so easy to read.

She slowly grasped hold of his vest and pulled him into a kiss. The only difference this time: her eyes never closed, and neither did his. He must have realized she was trying to get under his skin as much as he was hers when she nipped at his lips. 

His eyebrows rose and he deepened the kiss by snaking his arms around her waist. He bit down and she tasted the copper tank of blood. Tasting the blood set her off a bit and she pushed both her body and lips against him. His hands made their way to her butt and he lifted her up on the counter. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer to her. He kissed a trail down her jaw line and to her neck. Ann gasped as he bid down. By now she had her fingers tangled in his hair. 

Ann belatedly realized that Akira had gained control of her body and that she wanted him. Horribly wanted him right then and there. 

  


Suddenly there was a splitting crack in her mind as Ann began to fight Akira on the subject. Joker had his fingers in her hair and he pulled her head back as he bit down again. She let out a moan. There was another crack in her head as Ann tried to worm her way back into control. She felt him bite down a bit harder than before and her hands pulled his hair slightly as she let out another moan of pleasure. Then there was a sharp ringing noise and she screamed. 

Akira lost control of what was happening as Ann took her body back. She leaned forward and collapsed on top of a slightly baffled Joker. She remembered him raising her head and saying something. Her ears were still ringing. She assumed he said something like 'are you ok?' before she blacked out.

  


* * *

Jokers POV

He picked her up in his arms and walked back to the living room.

What caused 'that' I wonder. 

Maybe he really 'did' feel a change in her. There was definitely a difference in the way she moved and acted. She was more animalistic than before. It was like she was craving freedom. He laid her down on the couch and checked her pulse. It was erratic. Her breathing was shallow and uneven. 

He went to the kitchen and got a wash cloth. He soaked it in cold water then rung it out till it was just damp. He walked back into the living room and placed the cold piece of cloth on her fore head. It seemed to help a bit. 

He proceeded in dabbing the cloth around her face and shoulders until her breathing was normal. He was relieved when she stirred in her sleep.

Wait. Am I actually developing feelings for her? 

He ignored the thought as he sat on the couch beside her head and pulled her into his lap. He absently played with the black streak in her hair while he sat in thought.

  


* * *

Ann's POV 

Her eyes fluttered open and she groaned. Her head felt like someone had split it open with a hammer. She looked up to see Joker looking down at her quizzically. "Welcome back." He said.

"Ugh. What the hell happened?" she asked more to herself than him. Then she remembered. Akirah! "Oh shit. What did she do?" she jerked upright and immediately regretted her sudden movement. 

Her thoughts were groggy, but she still had enough sense to realize that she said that aloud. She turned and looked at him and winced. There is NO way he missed that. 

"She?" he asked. After a second his smile automatically brightened. "Split personalities. Ha! I knew it." Ann winced again. 

Shit shit shit 

Ann grumbled and went to the kitchen, ignoring him. No point in playing innocent now. There was only one way to fix a head ace that came from fighting with her. She opened the small liquor cabinet and grabbed the bottle of whiskey and shot glass. Ann walked back to the living room and sat back down on the couch, holding her head the whole time. He just watched as she poured her a shot and downed it without a second thought. As the warm liquid seeped down her throat her head began to feel a bit better. She was super pissed. She looked back at him. 

"You want some or are you goinna stare at me awhile longer?" she asked in an irritated tone. He shrugged so Ann poured him a shot and handed it to him. He downed it just like she had and sat the glass on the table.

"Ya know, I honestly didn't think you'd be able to take strait whiskey when I found it in the cabinet." Ann just rolled her eyes. "You definitely thought wrong." she said as she leaned back onto the couch. 

  


"Your head still hurt?" he asked. "It's not as bad as it was." she said. At her reply he reached across her and grabbed the open whiskey bottle and poured another drink. Ann gave him a thankful look and downed it. He then poured and downed his own shot.

"I'm guessing that the wine is hers then." He stated. It didn't seem he was looking for an answer. "Yeah." she replied. "Who picked the car?" This time he was definitely interested. 

"I did." Ann could tell he was pleased. "You did the work on it yourself?" he asked. "Yep. Everything but the paint job. I got that from a friend of mine at a gym I go to." 

"The one that's a block away?" he asked. 

Shit. 

So he 'had' been following me the whole day. 

"Yeah" Ann hoped to God that he wasn't pissed about Duane's annoying flirting. She had completely forgotten that. Duane was the friend that painted her car. Hell, he was the only friend she had in this place besides Misa. Ann looked in his direction and noticed that he didn't look to happy.

Looks like Akirah was right. He's jealous. 

Ann tried to think of a way to break the awkward silence that had crept between them. Suddenly something came to her. She wasn't sure but she thought it might work. Ann scooted over towards Joker a bit and leaned against him. She could tell that he wasn't expecting that. 

Yay. I caught him off guard.

Being so close to him was actually relaxing. Ann felt him wrap his arms around her so she turned her head and buried her face in his neck. "What are you doing to me?" She asked him. She wasn't really expecting him to answer her. She was half asleep already. Her mind whirled in a 180 when he said "I could ask you the same question." Ann was on the verge of sleep when something very unexpected happened…..


	6. chapter 6

Ann tried to think of a way to break the awkward silence that had crept between them. Suddenly something came to her. She wasn't sure but she thought it might work. Ann scooted over towards Joker a bit and leaned against him. She could tell that he wasn't expecting that.

Yay. I caught him off guard.

Being so close to him was actually relaxing. She felt him wrap his arms around her so she turned her head and buried her face in his neck.

"What are you doing to me?" she asked him. She wasn't really expecting him to answer her. She was half asleep already. Her mind whirled in a 180 when he said "I could ask you the same question."

Not ten seconds went by and the living room door flew open. In walked Misa. Ann realized she had forgotten to lock the door.

Damn it. That's all I need.

As both Ann's gaze and Jokers traveled to her Ann saw the horrified look on her face. Ann's face probably looked like one of those cartoons where the eyes pop out of the person's head. She stammered as her eyes saw the open whiskey bottle. This was going to be bad.

Ann was honestly expecting to get the third degree from her but instead her eyes flew to Joker.

"What did you do to her?" she nearly screamed at him as Ann stood up. Ann barely realized that he stood also. "Hold on Misa. Its not what it looks like."

"Of course it's not! It's never what it 'looks like' with you. What did he do? Bust open the damn door?" She said as she glared at him. Ann had enough. "Does it look like the door is off it's hinges? He knocked like people are supposed to do!"

"And then what? Screwed with your head? That's the only decent explanation for this." Ann knew she was talking about the whiskey. Ann hadn't had to fight with Akirah in a long time. She knew what the whiskey was for. "Maybe you didn't think that it happened all on it's own? It never once crossed your mind that he had nothing to do with it?" Ann said back to her.

"Of course not! He's a psychotic killer clown!" Ann sighed. "He's not psychotic. You really wanna know what happened?" Ann turned and grabbed Joker by the coat and pulled him into a kiss. She put every emotion she had ever felt into that kiss. All the hate, all the annoyance, all the paranoia, all the rebelliousness from her youth, all the panic that she had been feeling over that last few days, and every little speck of what seemed like love went from her lips to his. Ann pulled away and stared at him a moment. Quietly she said "Sometimes, I just wanna watch the world burn." Ann turned and grabbed her coat and the whiskey bottle and headed for the door. "Where the hell are you going now?" Misa screamed at me. The shock on her face was testimate as to how much seeing Ann kiss the Joker got to her. Ann threw her coat over her shoulder and looked back at her. "I haven't decided yet. Maybe Ill just walk till I wake up." Ann gave her a sarcastic smile. "And what the hell am I supposed to do?" Misa cried.

"Well, you could stay here and get to know my boyfriend a bit better. I'm sure the two of you will get along just wonderfully." Misa's eyes got wide. Over her shoulder she saw the Joker. He seemed amused again as he said "Boyfriend?" Ann gave him a sweet smile that looked way to innocent before she jumped over the balcony railing to land on the sidewalk a floor below. Ann tipped the bottle up as she began to walk in a random direction down the street. Misa ran out the door and down several steps. "Annie get back here!" Ann ignored her. "Damn it Annie!" No response. Ann kept walking. "MARY ANN!" She stopped at the mention of her real name and threw her a look over her shoulder that was full of hate. She HATED her real name. Ann turned and kept walking.

3rd person of Misa and Joker:

Misa was on the 3rd step from the top of the stairs as she watched Ann walk away. Joker walked up behind her. "So I finally learn her real name." Misa screamed in surprise and nearly fell down the stairs, but Joker caught her by the wrist and waited till she regained her footing. She was confused. "Thank you." She said slowly. "I didn't do it for you." He said. "If it were up to me I would have let you fall." He began to walk past her and down the stairs. "This is all your fault." Misa said with out looking at him. He glanced back at her. "And how exactly is that." He answered with a dry tone of voice.

"You don't get it. They were fighting over you. That was why-" She stopped as she realized what she was saying. His eyes narrowed. "I know already." Her voice faltered a bit. "She told you!" Misa stammered in disbelief.

"She didn't have to. There's clearly two people in there." He said in a calm voice.

"I knew it! You are the reason for all this. You don't know what happens when they fight! She-" Joker cut her off "She either faints or blacks out depending on her anger level. If she faints she has a chance of going into shock. Yes I know."

"You don't know everything damn it! After she wakes up she has a splitting head ache and her alter ego disappears for almost a full day! She can't think strait the whole day. She could do any number of things that could get her killed! And the whiskey only helps her head ace. She still gets drunk trying to make it go away. Then she almost always does something stupid!"

He was beginning to understand. The situation was a bit more serious than Ann just wanting to get away from Misa. "I have people tailing her. They'll tell me where she goes."

"You seriously think that she doesn't know that? If she doesn't want to be found then she won't be found. Your 'people' can't follow unless she's allowing it to happen. You could probably follow her with out her knowing, but anyone else would either get lost or get the shit beat outta them." He walked down the stairs and went the direction that she had gone. He got on his phone and called the man he had following her. He reported where she was and that it looked like she was headed for the park. "Do NOT lose her. I'll meet you in 20." He called someone else and arranged for a ride. They picked him up 5 minutes later and they headed for Ringo, the one following her.

Meanwhile Misa had decided to go home. There was nothing she could do at this point and she was sure she would get a call tomorrow morning when Ann snapped out of her ego trip.

Shadow's POV:

She was headed for a perfect spot that she knew. It was the top of a deserted building that overlooked the park. It wasn't a problem to get to. The problem was the thug that was following her. Ann had been debating on what to do with him since she left her house. She could either get rid of him and spend the night alone or let him follow her and expect 'her boyfriend' to show up. she had no doubt that he would end up finding her anyways. Ann was to close to where she was going to lose him completely. She slipped around a corner and sprinted to the next ally. She watched him walk by her hiding place. Ann couldn't believe he was that easy to lose. She let him get a ways away before she stepped out of the ally and whistled. The guy whirled around and his eyes got big as he realized what had happened. Ann ducked back in the ally and proceeded to the end and took a right. She waited at the corner as he approached. He was panicking. As well he should be. This little stunt that she was about to pull would likely get him in serious trouble. He was walking really fast. Ann stuck her foot out around the corner and watched him trip. She had caught him completely off guard. He fell flat on his face and she walked over and slammed her boot into the back of his head which knocked him out. He would obviously have a head ache when he woke up. Ann snickered to herself.

When she finally reached the building she was relieved. The open night air was making her feel better. She worked her way up through the rabble that had been left inside when the unknown occupants had left. She reached the top and went to the stone railing and looked out over the park. She tipped up the bottle again. Ann was beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol.

Joker's POV

He sneered and kicked the man laying face down in the ally.

I can't believe this idiot let her get away.

She had to be in the area. The blood on the back of the man's head had only just begun to dry. He turned and walked in the direction of the park which was only about 2 blocks away. Ten minutes later he was on the outskirts of the medium sized park. He looked around. She wouldn't be in plain sight. She was likely in one of the buildings that lined the edges of the spacious green area. From a quick scan of the buildings he identified three that would be a likely hiding place. He walked toward the closest one.

Half an hour later he was on his way to the last building. When he reached the bottom of the building he cast a look upward. This one was the highest one yet. Surely she was here. Once he reached the top level of the building he headed for the roof. The door to the roof was cracked open. Once he got closer he heard the sweetest voice in the world singing. He listened for a few minutes. She was singing in Japanese? It had been a LONG time since he had heard Japanese.

"kowareru hodo aishitemo"

Even if I love you so much that I shatter myself.

"sanbun no ichi mo tsutawaranai"

Not even a third of it gets back to you

"junjou na kanjou wa karamawari"

These innocent emotions run in circles

"I love you sae ienaideiru my heart"

I can't even say 'I love you'. My heart.

He pushed the door open to see her sitting on the stone railing that went around the top of the building. She smiled at seeing him. "Konnichiwa!"

He smirked "Bonsowa-ru, ai mai" (good evening, my love) he could tell that she was 'tipsy' to say the least. Her face was a bit red. And her movements were slow. Her face brightened at hearing his comment in Japanese. "Your so sweet." He walked over and sat next to her on the railing. "And your 'so' drunk." She stuck out her tongue.

"Your friend is worried about you." He said.

"I figured. She's always worried." Ann replied.

"You should be careful up here, you could fall." She scoffed at his remark. Joker reached over and grabbed her by the shoulders saying "Boo!" She jumped and probably 'would' have fallen had his hands not been holding her. The whiskey bottle went over the edge.

"Awe! Now I have to go get it." She bent over the edge intent on going over after it. Joker's eyes widened as he grabbed her.

"No no no. We can't have that." He picked her up bridal style and began to carry her off the roof. She didn't struggle. He looked down to see a pout had formed on her face. "I'll get you another one, love. But I think you've had enough for now." At that her smile returned and he felt her snuggle up against him as he walked down the stairs. "You so strong." He almost laughed at the classic line. "Well, you 'are' rather light." She was on the verge of passing out.

Well, at least she hasn't started hurling up her lunch yet.

Once they were outside he sat her on her feet and pulled out his phone. He kept his arm wrapped protectively around her waist as he told the guy on the other end where they were. "I'll have to bring you back here sometime." He said as he slid the phone back in his pocket. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head against his chest. "I knew you would find me." She whispered. He smiled and held her. As they waited for their ride he looked out over the water of the large pond in the middle of the park. It had been years since he actually felt this content. The car pulled up about ten minutes later and they climbed in the back seat. She leaned against him. He realized that he was happy that she was starting to trust him.

By the time they reached her house she had fallen asleep. He gently lifted her in his arms and carried her to the door of her apartment. He had a bit of trouble getting the keys from her coat pocket while he was still carrying her, but he managed to get the door open without waking her. He sat her on the couch and stripped her of her coat. He hung it on the door and proceeded to take her boots and her belt off. He then took his coat and vest off and threw them in the chair. Afterward he carried her to her room and laid her on the bed. He pulled the covers back and pulled them up over her. He then took off his shirt and shoes and climbed into bed with her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him as he felt that content feeling crawl over him again. For the first time in forever, he let himself relax. He soon drifted off to sleep.


	7. chapter 7

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him as he felt that content feeling crawl over him again. For the first time in forever, he let himself relax. He soon drifted off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Ann awoke the next morning to the sound of her shower being shut off. She groaned like she does every morning and sat up. She was in the process of trying to remember what happened after she got to the building when the door to her bathroom opened. She looked up to see Joker step out of the bathroom. His makeup was gone and his hair and body were still slightly wet. Oh, and one more thing, he was wearing nothing but a towel that was wrapped around his waist. Ann's eyes traveled from his face down his very well built torso.

**Well well. Good morning indeed.**

Her mind didn't even register that Akira had said anything.

"Your staring." Came his deep voice from across the room.

He didn't have to tell her that. Ann's brain came back from oblivion as she blushed and looked away. She heard him laugh from somewhere near the bathroom door. She assumed he was getting dressed when she heard the rustle of clothes.

After a few minutes everything was silent. Ann opened her eyes to find him an entire inch away from her face. "Gah!" she screamed and nearly fell off the bed. He stood up from the crouched position that he had been in. "A hah!" he declared in triumph "She speaks."

Ann growled in frustration and lobbed a pillow at him. The pillow hit him square in the face. He was just about to come after her when she heard a knock at the door. They both froze. Ann was really not wanting a repeat of last night. She could tell he was thinking the same thing. They both walked to the living room. He sat on the couch as she answered the door.

Ann cracked the door open. She was expecting to see Misa on the other side, but instead she found Duane.

"Hey gurl. What's up?" he said in a cheerful tone of voice.

"Um, not much. Just woke up actually." she said. Needless to say Ann was just a bit nervous. She looked over at Joker who was giving her an annoyed look.

Shit shit shit

**You have to get rid of him!**

"Well Misa said you took off last night. She sounded kinda worried when she called. I figured we could go out for some breakfast if you wanted." Ann was getting paranoid. She looked over to Joker. He was spinning the barrel of a revolver that had somehow appeared in his hand. He gave her a pointed look. Ann's eyes got wide. "Um, well actually I was goinna go to breakfast. With a friend! Yeah, a friend from work."

**Ugh. That was terrible. We really need to work on your acting skills.**

Shut it. I'm still mad at you, and your not helping.

Duane gave her a weird look. "Are you sure your ok? Your acting kinda funny."

"Oh, well I did just wake up. I'm not thinking strait yet. But I was actually just about to call my friend, who is on her way here now, and I'm not ready yet. So-" He cut her off. "You mind if I come in and wait?" Ann could tell he knew something was up. She glanced a nervous look at Joker. He stood up and flicked his wrist, which cause the barrel of the gun to pop into the firing position. Her eyes got wide again. Just then she heard a cell phone ring. "Awe dangit. Hold on a sec Ann." Duane said as he flipped open his phone. Ann looked over at Joker and gave him a 'you had better not' look and shook her head. He gave her a 'sincere' pout.

"Shit. That was work. One of the painters never showed up and they have orders out the ass. I gotta go. Maybe lunch?" He said and tried for a peek behind her.

"If I'm not busy. I'll call you, ok?" She said.

"Ok. Well, you might wanna call Misa. She's at the office."

"Yeah. I'll make a point to do that." she said in an annoyed tone.

"Right. Well, see you later." He said.

Ann shut the door as he was walking off. After seeing him leave in his car she turned to Joker who had put the gun away. "And what exactly were you going to do with that gun?" He shrugged. "I can't exactly just let a guy that sees me just walk away. That 'would' be a bit…. over expecting." He said as he slid a few feet to the right and tugged at the sleeve of his jacket.

"So you were goinna shoot him?"

"Well, I can't say I didn't want to." Was all he said. Ann gawked. "I can't believe you were going to shoot him!"

He gave her a strange look. "Have you seen the news lately?"

Ok. He has a point. I have to make sure there is no more Duane. I don't wanna take any chances.

**This is a problem. You can't exactly get rid of Joker, and you can't go and tell Duane that he can't come around because the Joker is jealous.**

I don't know what to do.

Just then Joker snapped his fingers in front of her face, and literally snapped her out of her thoughts. "Was there a conversation going on in there?" he asked sarcastically.

Ugh! He's infuriating!

She glared at him. "I suddenly feel like going to the gym." She said to herself

"Oh! Off to the gym to beat the crap out of some unlucky moron. Sounds wonderful." He said with faked excitement. "You know something; you have a lot of potential that you don't even realize."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" she replied

"Why stop at hopelessly maiming some one? Take the next step." He said in all seriousness. "Ya know what 'I' do when I'm mad? I blow something up. It's much more…. satisfying."

I can't believe I'm hearing this.

**Oh come on. You know you've always wanted to.**

I am NOT listening to you!

"You have a much more tempted side. A darker side. And I'm not just talking about the 'other' person in there." He grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. "I'm talking about you."

"No no no! I'm not listening to EITHER of you!" She spun away from him.

He stepped closer to her and whispered in her ear "Wasn't it 'you' that said you want to watch the world burn?" Ann gasped.

He's right.

**Wait. What?**

I said he's right!

**No! About the world burning?**

Never mind. It was when you got knocked out.

**Yeah, thanks to you.**

"I need time to think. I can't do this right now. I have to think." She said quietly.

"Fair enough. You think about it. That job opening 'is' still available." He said to her. At this point she noticed that his hands were still on her shoulders. She turned her head and looked at his hand. Her gaze went from there and up his arm to his face.

He looked genuinely concerned as he turned her around and guided her to the couch. He sat down and gently pulled her to sit in his lap. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist and pulled her against him. Ann's mind felt strangely absent. All she was able to do was feel. She felt his arms around her and his breath on her neck. A chill went down her spine. Ann felt his lips touch her ear. "You are special, Shadow." She shivered. "What ever you choose, I won't let you go."

He won't let me go.

Ann felt his hand going up and down her back while his other arm was still around her waist.

Is he trying to comfort me?

**It seems that way.**

The phone rang. She barely heard it. She let it go unanswered. Joker's hand continued rubbing her back. After a few minutes the ringing ceased and then resumed another minute later. Joker reached over and picked up the receiver. "Can I help you?" He growled. Ann heard Misa's voice on the other end ask to speak to her. "She's busy. Would you rather speak to me?" The other end was silent. "I didn't think so." He said and hung up. The phone didn't ring again.

"I should probably call her before she sends someone 'else' over here to die." Ann reached for the phone. She didn't bother getting off his lap. She dialed Misa's office number and waited for her to answer. Before she could say more than 'hello psycho chick' Ann said "Yes I'm fine. No he didn't hurt me. Yes I got drunk. Yes he found me and brought me back. Yes he 'is' still here. And no, you shouldn't send anyone to check on me ever again."

Well that was a load off.

Misa stammered on the other end. Ann guessed she had caught Misa off guard by answering all the questions she hadn't had the chance to ask. Ann could hear Joker laughing quietly behind her. "Wait. What do you mean I shouldn't send people to check on you? Is Duane ok? What happened?"

Took her long enough.

"Well, lets just say someone is jealous of our friend and nearly blew his head off before I could get rid of him." Ann replied.

"Wha! What do you mean he nearly blew his head off?" She nearly screamed.

"I mean: if your little spy had gotten through the damn door he would be dead. So it would probably be a bad idea for you to send him over here again."

After that she agreed to stop having people come to her house. That was a relief. Ann hung up the phone and decided she was hungry.

"You want something to eat? I could go get something from Taco Bell or Arby's if you want. Maybe Subway?" Ann figured she would be nice and forget about the whole 'lets put a hole in Ann's friend' thing and offer him breakfast.

"I'm not jealous." He said, ignoring her offer for breakfast.

"Oh come on. You don't expect me to believe that do you?" She said as she turned in his lap to look at him.

"Yes because I'm not." He said.

"Ok." Was her only reply.

"Ok? You don't think I mean it." He said.

Ann stood up. "No, I don't. But that doesn't really matter. Does it?" she said.

He stood up behind her, which threw her slightly off balance and she had to keep herself from falling forward onto the coffee table. Ann stepped out from between him and the knee high table so it wouldn't happen again. "It bothers you? That your jealous of someone that never had a chance with me?" She asked in all seriousness.

"Damn it. I am NOT jealous." He took a step toward her. Ann stood her ground. "You are too. Your proving it right now by being mad about it." She said. He closed the distance between them. His face was so close to hers that she could feel his breath. He glared at her. Looking in his eyes the only thing she could see was emptiness. She felt a cold chill run up her spine. "Say I'm jealous. One more time." His words were full of rage. Ann was getting mad.

He can't act this way and expect me not to call him on his bs.

**Ok, but if you regret pushing him later, don't say I didn't warn you.**

"Jealous." She smirked at him. She really didn't know what to expect. They hadn't really been on bad terms yet since they met. Up until now she had tried to stay on his good side. But she was getting tired of trying to watch what she said. Besides, if she didn't call him on it then it would be like admitting he scared her. She wasn't about to do that.

Ann saw his eyebrow twitch and he was silent for a moment. "I warned you."

Ann barely had time to register his words before he had slammed her up against the wall. She growled and kicked him in the shin, which gave her enough time to get out from between him and the wall. He threw a punch at her and she blocked it.

This won't turn out well. He's twice my size and stronger.

**Make him swing and miss. Get your kicks in between his attacks and eventually he will tire and you'll win**.

Perfect idea. He threw another punch at her but instead of blocking it Ann ducked out of the way. She felt her kick connect with his side. He swung at her again. This time it was faster. She ducked just in time and slid out of his reach. He had backed her up to the wall. He came at her and managed to get a grip on her throat with both hands. He slammed her into the wall again. Ann noticed that it didn't hurt as she felt her lungs starting to burn for air.

Is he going easy on me?

**Don't think! Just get out of it!**

She tried to kick him in the sides but he avoided her legs. She felt her face getting red. Just then she remembered a move that her Tae Kwon Do instructor had taught her. She raised her right arm strait up and then brought her elbow down on his arms. It broke the hold he had on her and she fell to the floor and rolled away from him. She gasped for air as she backed her way to the other side of the room.

It would be a good idea to avoid getting pinned.

**Well no shit**.

All of a sudden he broke into laughter. Ann gave him a weird look.

What the hell?

Once he had stopped laughing he looked at her seriously. "Well now I know the extent of your Aikido. Your definitely not a master yet. If you were I would have never got my hands on you. At least not the way I tried that time." He said. He had a cocky smile on his face.

Ann's mind jerked as she realized what he had done. He wasn't using any kind of Martial Art. He was just throwing punches like he had no training. She knew he HAD to have training because of the way he stood. There weren't any openings. It was a guarded stance.

He tricked me to find out what I know!

At seeing the expression on her face his smile grew wider. He leaned against the corner of the wall across the room from her. Ann's shock suddenly became anger. She grabbed the first thing her hand came into contact with, which was the knife behind the curtain. The knife stuck in the wall only a few inches away from where his face was leaning on it. He didn't even flinch. He still had the same smug smirk on his face. He pushed himself away from the wall and made his way to her. Ann was glaring daggers at him as he stopped about an arms length from her. His smile vanished and he glared back at her.

That's it. I'm not moving. If he hits me then he hits me. It's not like I haven't been hit before.

**Your not going to defend yourself**?

I refuse to play a losing game.

Ann saw it coming when his fist raised and came strait at her face. This was a trained punch. She didn't move.

His face showed confusion as he realized she wasn't going to move. He pulled his punch at the last second and his fist slammed into the wall next to her face. Ann was almost shocked.

Why didn't he hit me?

He studied her "You didn't move."

She just stared at him.

"Why?" he was looking deep in her eyes. He was trying to figure her out again. Ann said nothing.

He raised his other hand. He was going to slap her. She flinched and shut her eyes, but still didn't move. Once again, no pain came. She opened her eyes and looked towards his hand. It had stopped just short of her face. His hand closed the distance and came to rest on Ann's cheek. She looked back at him with confusion.

He doesn't want to hit me!

She couldn't figure out if he was trying to scare her, if it was a warning, or if it was something more.

**With the Joker, it's always something more**.

Agreed.

Ann decided to forget about it. She was sick of playing his game and it looked like he was too. "I'm hungry." She said.

"Yeah."

"Subway?" She asked. She was still intent on buying him breakfast.

"Yeah." He said again. But he didn't move. She was about to push her way around him when his hand forced her to turn and look back at him. He closed the remaining distance between them and kissed her. It was a sweet kiss, almost like he was saying 'bie, be careful'. The kiss didn't last long. She watched him turn and go to sit on the couch. Ann silently cursed her stupidity when she realized she was blushing. He flicked on the tv and watched her grab her coat and leave.

Ann got in her car and headed for subway. Once she got there she realized that she forgot to ask what he wanted, so she went to a pay phone and called the house. Ann didn't know if he would answer or not. She was relieved when he did. Ten minutes later she was on her way home with his foot long club and her six inch sweet onion chicken teriyaki.

What a morning.

They ate in silence on the couch. Every so often she caught him watching her. When their eyes met he wouldn't look away like most people would. Several times she saw him almost laugh when her messy sandwich would almost spill on her.

After they finished eating she took the trash, both hers and his, to the trash can. He mumbled a thank you as she resumed her place on the couch. "I go to class in the afternoon." she said into the silence. She figured she might as well let him know in advanced.

"Don't go. Come with me instead." It didn't quite seem like a request, but she decided to humor him a bit.

"Go with you? Where would we be going?" She asked. Ann was rather curious as to where he wanted to take her.

**Maybe a date**.

No way!

**I'm serious! Maybe he wants to take you out.**

Out? Where would we go? Red Lobster? We'd be rotting in jail within minutes.

"I have an engagement that I would like you to attend as my escort." He explained. It was hardly an explanation.

"And what is the occasion?" She asked. Needless to say, she was skeptical.

Joker smiled...


	8. chapter 8

"And what is the occasion?" Ann asked. Needless to say, she was skeptical.

Joker smiled…..

Later that day she found herself in a car full of thugs on her way to meet the local crime lord and head mobster, along with the entire organized crime syndicate.

How did I get dragged into this?

**You were curious**.

Ann sat in Joker's lap, of course. She was dressed as she normally is, except she was a bit more equipped. Instead of just the one knife she usually carried she had a small switch blade in each boot, another in plane view clipped onto her pants pocket, and a pistol in each of her coat pockets that Joker had given her. They felt special to her. They were 45s, one silver with black trim and the other black with silver trim. They were very sleek and elegant. The word 'Shadow' was written in silver and black on the side of each gun. She had decided to name them Ebony and Ivory.

She made a mental note to find some gun holsters later. Ann made another one to make sure she stopped listening to Joker and Akirah. She honestly couldn't believe what was about to happen. Hell, she didn't even 'know' what was about to happen. The Joker said it was a meeting. For all she knew, they might be about to crash a party and blow up the hosts. Maybe that was a new definition for bring your own beer. Just substitute beer for bomb. Ha.

"So what exactly is the point to me being here?" Ann asked Joker. He smiled. "Crowd control and to be my escort, of course." He told her.

Crowd control? Great.

**This should be fun!**

They pulled up to an expensive looking hotel. They were about to get out when Joker whispered her ear "Just follow my lead." Then to the rest of the 'crew' he said "You know what to do boys." They got out of the car. Joker strolled around to the side of the building and entered through an employee door. Ann followed right behind him. Joker was humming a merry sounding tune ahead of her.

He must be excited. This is probably goinna get nasty at some point.

They took a few turns down the hallway that they were walking in and came to a set of double doors. Without hesitation, Joker kicked open the doors and strolled into the room. Ann was right behind him. In the middle of the large room was a big table with chairs lining it. Seated in the chairs were the city's most notorious mob members. They had been in the process of discussing the terms of some kind of shipment when they barged in. Before anyone had a chance to say anything Joker spoke up. "Hello, my sinister lords of crime." He took a bow. The whole room was stunned.

Well that's one way to get someone's attention.

Just then a man on the other side of the table spoke up. "Well, Joker! What a lovely new addition you have!" He eyed Ann hungrily. He was of medium height and was skinny. He had a piggish face and was dressed in an expensive looking suit. Ann glared at the man as he continued "I might have to buy her and show her how I have fun." The man laughed. Ann felt her anger level sky rocket. She looked at Joker. He could tell she was pissed. He nodded his approval. Ann smiled.

There was an unoccupied chair right across from the man. She sexily cantered her way towards it. "You think you can waive around your money and expect the world at your feet?" She sneered at him. He had a cocky grin smoothed onto his ugly face. Ann reached the chair, but instead of sitting she used the chair as a step to get onto the table. She stepped onto the chair then onto the table and took two steps.

The man gave a worried look to the guy next to him. Ann kicked him as hard as she could in the face. He fell backwards and rolled out of his chair. The second her foot made contact the two people on either side of him made a reach for their guns. But before they could draw them the Joker's henchmen brandished their own weapons and the men froze. Ann jumped down off the table and strode towards the man who was on the floor scooting away from her.

"You think I'm some toy that you can buy from a pawn store? I have news for you." She picked him up by his coat and slung him against the wall. A knife appeared in her hand and she ran the blade down the side of the man's face. "There are some things in this world that cannot be bought." Ann put more pressure on the knife and a bead of blood ran down the man's face. "I just so happen to be one of them." she kept pressure on the knife and dragged it downward.

She brought the blade to the man's neck as he started to beg. "I'll give you what ever you want, just don't-" she cut him off. "You think I want anything 'you' have to offer? You disgust me. If your in such a fear for your life, why don't you ask your money to save you?" She had a sudden burst of animosity and yanked the blade across his throat. The knife sliced his skin like hot butter.

Blood poured from the wound and gushed down his neck to tarnish the expensive suit he wore. It had been so easy. Disgusted, she released her hold on his collar and watched him slide down the wall, gurgling and gasping.

When the light faded from his eyes Ann walked back to where the man had been sitting. She threw the knife and it stuck in the table. Blood dripped from the knife and pooled on the table. She then kicked the chair off the floor with the edge of her toe and proceeded to sit.

She looked around the room at all the shocked people sitting in the chairs. "So, anyone else have a fetish for red heads?" Joker burst into laughter across the room from her. He was almost on the floor rolling. Everyone else in the room was watching her like she was a wild tiger. Even Joker's henchmen were watching her warily. The two guys sitting next to Ann slowly scooted away. She was smiling. When Joker's fit of laughter came to a stop he motioned for her to come to him. Ann got up and walked around the table. When she was a few paces from him she turned around and backed up into his arms. "Gentlemen. This is my 'wonderful' partner in crime, Shadow." He introduced her. It was her turn to give an extravagant bow.

After everyone settled down a bit Joker sat at the table with her in his lap. They discussed business and talked about this 'shipment', which turned out to be a rather large sum of money. Toward the end of the conversation someone mentioned Batman and asked how Joker was planning on getting some Chinese guy named Lao out of jail. Joker didn't give a direct answer. He just said that it would be taken care of. They soon left the hotel.

The guy driving the car, who was the same guy that Ann knocked out in the ally, dropped the other henchmen off at their various places of residence. Most of them lived in the slums. When they reached Ann's home Joker and Ann got out of the car and went inside. Ann stepped in the door first and Joker was right on her ass. Literally. He closed the door behind them. She was about to shrug her coat off when he helped her out of it from behind. He turned and hung it on the hook by the door. She hadn't turned around yet. He had been silent nearly the whole way home. Something was up.

Ann turned to look at him. She wanted to see what he was up to. Before she could manage a word he had his hands on her shoulders and was backing her up. She didn't complain about it. He wasn't being forceful. Her back came into contact with the wall and in an instant his lips were on hers. She kissed him back as his hands found their way to her hips. He squeezed and Ann felt her body jerk as he intensified the kiss between them. She found herself tugging at his coat as he pressed her against the wall. His lips made a wet trail to her neck and his coat came off. Ann moaned in pleasure when he bit down on the soft spot where her neck connected with her shoulders. She dizzily realized that his coat and vest were gone and she was undoing the buttons of his shirt.

His hands were running up and down her sides and she felt him nipping at her neck. His lips came back to hers when she tangled her hands in his hair. He threw his shirt across the room and her hands ravaged his toned and muscled torso. Her breathing was getting heavy. His hands went up the back of her shirt as she felt him bite her lips. He didn't bring blood this time.

He stripped her shirt off her and grabbed her butt. He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around him. She felt him press his body against her. His hands gripped her sides and he began kissing her neck. His hands went back to her hips and he squeezed harder this time. Ann felt her body lurch and her back arched against the wall as she gasped. He was kissing his way down to her cleavage and she was kissing his neck. Her hands were gripping his shoulders. That familiar ache in her groin was back. His hand came to rest on the clasp of her bra

A knock at the door interrupted them and they both froze. After a few moments of silence Misa opened the door and peeked inside. Ann groaned when her eyes fell on them. Joker sat her on her feet and practically fell into the recliner. The tv came on. Ann walked toward the couch.

"What the hell! Where's your friggin shirt?" She yelled.

"Over there." Ann said and pointed to her discarded shirt. Joker glanced at the shirt that was by his feet. He reached down and threw it to Ann. He had a smile on his face. He was laughing on the inside at the uncomfortable situation, but Ann could tell he was slightly annoyed at  yet another interruption.

"Ok. Why the hell weren't you wearing it?" Misa gaped at her as she pulled her shirt on.

"It's my house. I'll wear what I want." Ann leaned back on the couch.

"Listen. I need to talk to you." She said

Ann looked at her when she nodded toward the bedroom. "You can say what you want. I'm not goinna go hide in a closet to hear some secret that he's only goinna find out about later."

She sat down on the couch next to her. "I got a call from my mother today." She said. Ann went rigid. If she got a call from her mother then she was either in trouble or it was a message from Ann's family. She was beginning to regret not going to the bed room. "What did she want?" Ann asked.

"It's your dad. He had an accident. Your grandmother wants you home." she was trying to keep emotion from her face. Ann called her grandpa her father, since she had no other father figure in her life. Her grandmother remained her grandmother.

"I'll bet she does. What kinda condition is he in?" Ann asked, trying not to sound distressed

"I don't know. My mom said he's in the hospital. He could be dying." She said. Ann could feel Joker's eyes on her. "I'm not going back. She's probably lying to get back in her routine of shoving me at random ass holes. I won't do it."

"My mom said it was in the paper Annie. Your grandma isn't lying." She said. Ann sighed. "I can't come with you if you do go. Work is way to busy."

"I understand. I'll be fine alone." Ann told her.

"No. Your grandma. You need someone there to keep your ass calm. That's it. I'm calling work." She said and pulled out her phone.

"I told you I'll be fine. I have a car this time and I'm sure some of my old friends are still hanging around. And there's no need. I'm not going."

Misa scoffed at her.

"Ok, ok. I 'might' go." Ann corrected herself. "I haven't decided yet." she looked at the Joker for a moment then turned her gaze away. She was in no mood to deal with him. She really wasn't looking forward to going back to Oklahoma. Yes, she was going to go. Ann wasn't going to tell Misa that until 5 minutes before she walked out the door though. She might even wait until she was half way there. After awhile, Misa could tell that Ann wanted to be left alone. She left after saying her regards and all that.

Joker and Ann sat in silence for a few minutes. After awhile he turned and looked at her from across the room. "Your going, aren't you." It wasn't a question. He knew her better than she thought. Ann said nothing. He pushed himself up from the recliner and sat beside her on the couch. "Your father means something to you?" he asked.

"He's not actually my father. He's my grandfather. They adopted me when I was 2." Ann said. "And yes. He does."

"I'm going with you." He stated. Ann's eyes got a bit wide. "Oh, wow. Wait a minute. There's no way." she said. He just looked at her. Ann sighed again.

Well, I suppose I can't stop him.

"Ok. But you cant wear make up or the purple suit. That's a dead give away. If you go you have to keep a low profile. Ok?"

He smiled. "I shall be on my 'best' behavior."

"Wonderful." she said.

Ann called work and let them know she had a family emergency and wouldn't be in for awhile. She then proceeded to call her Aikido gym and give them the same message. She was sure Misa would let Duane know where she disappeared to, so she had no reason to call him. She didn't want to any way. No reason to get into another fight.

Ann went to the local Wal-Mart and picked up a prepaid track phone so she could make phone calls with out stopping on the way there. Plus, if she ran into any of her old friends she could stay in contact. Joker made a few phone calls of his own to give his men instructions. Ann ordered some pizza and began packing some of her things. She took several knives and the twin hand guns Joker had given her. She packed clothes and all that. There really wasn't anything special that she needed to take except money. She had a feeling she was going to need a lot of it. While she was packing Joker said he needed to go somewhere and took off. While he was gone the pizza guy came by.

Ten minutes after Ann finished her first slice of pizza Joker came strolling through the door. He had a satisfied smile on his face. He was holding a bag that she assumed had clothes in it and was hiding something behind his back. Ann gave him a curious look and continued eating her second slice of pizza that she had just claimed from the box. After she finished she wiped her hands off and looked at him. His smile grew as he pulled out two gun holsters from behind his back. She was ecstatic.

She ran to her coat and grabbed the two guns. They fit perfectly in the holsters. The leather was black and had red leather stitching around the edges. As she looked them over she noticed that the words 'My Shadow' were stitched into the leather of the holsters. They could be adapted to fit on her back, around her waist, or on her legs. Joker could obviously tell she was happy when she jumped in his arms and gave him a really big kiss. He laughed and dropped her on the couch. She bounced slightly as she came to a stop on the couch. "Your welcome." He said to her.

That night they just sat around the house and talked with each other. They made jokes and laughed. Ann was really beginning to feel a connection with him. She told him about her real mother. How she was fun to be around and how her grandma never really let her get close to her when she showed up on Ann's 12th birthday. Ann told him about her grandpa and his multi million dollar company that dealt with carbon plastics. She had always assumed that his company made plastic plates and Tupperware or something. Her grandpa never taught her much about it. Joker then enlightened her to the fact that carbon plastics was more like hi powered explosives. Basically C4. Ann was amazed that he knew so much about it. He even explained the process and chemicals needed to make it.

 

In return for all the talking Ann did he talked about part of his past. He mentioned that he studied Aikido in Japan under one of the true masters of the Martial Art. These masters were almost impossible to find and even harder to convince them to train you. He had taken his shirt back off towards the beginning of their conversation. The whole time she kept staring at his bare chest. He caught her several times and he would just smile. They went to sleep several hours after the pizza had been devoured. Ann snuggled up to him like she had known him for years and fell asleep. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

 

 

* * *

 

Ann woke up bright an early. It was around 8 am. Joker was still asleep. She laid there in bed for awhile just watching him sleep. He seemed so peaceful. She got up and took a shower. The hot water was really relaxing. She washed her hair and shaved and all that stuff. When she got out of the shower she wrapped a towel around her and brushed her teeth. She was drying her hair with a smaller towel when she walked out of the bathroom. It looked like Joker was still asleep. Ann climbed back on the bed and sat next to him.

On an impulse she reached out to touch his face. When her hand got an inch from him his eyes shot open and his hand came up to grab hers so fast that she didn't even see what happened. His eyes held a murderous gaze. Ann's eyes got wide and she leaned away. His eyes slowly softened and he released his grip on her hand. She slowly pulled her hand away.

She was suddenly embarrassed and turned around to absently towel drying her hair. She was trying to distract herself from her embarrassment. After a minute she felt his arms wrap around her. "Sorry love, I'm not quite used to this yet." He leaned his head on her shoulder. Ann smiled. "It's my fault." she told him. At that moment she remembered she was wearing nothing but a towel. She had originally planned on being dressed by the time he woke up.

I can't believe this. I'm my own friggin enemy.

**I've been telling you that for years**.

Wait, don't guys usually wake up wanting some?

**Hahaha! Your right! Your in deep shit.**

At this point she was totally freaking out, but she was keeping her body normal. Ann kept herself from stiffening up and she controlled her breathing. If he knew it was getting to her he might decide to exploit it.

"I should probably get dressed." she said into the silence.

"Yeah. You should." He replied, but he didn't move.

Awe shit.

She then realized that he was staring at her cleavage over her shoulder.

Was he doing that the WHOLE time?

Ann tried to stand up but his arms held her in place. "You know, you 'did' wake me up." Ann felt his lips on her ear as he spoke and a shiver went up her back. She could hear a bit of amusement in his voice.

He's enjoying this!

**Well of course. He has a beautiful, practically naked, girl sitting in his lap**.

I meant mentally. -_-

She felt his kiss on the side of her neck. She couldn't keep herself from stiffening. He pulled her backwards and rolled her onto the bed. In a matter of seconds he was on top of her. He smiled seductively. "Now what can you possible do to make it up to me?" he asked in a playful tone. Ann tried to resist but her blasted eyes kept rolling over his chest and arms. This would have been perfectly fine with her if she had clothes on. She felt his hands on her inner thigh and snapped out of her thoughts and tried to push him off. "Awe. Not in the mood for fun?" He asked.

Ann thought fast. There had to be something she could do to make him stop.

Joker's hand distracted her as it moved farther up the inside of her thigh. She felt her mind waiver when he began kissing her neck and worked his way farther down, nipping and sucking lightly in spots. She moaned against her will when his free hand put pressure on her hip. She couldn't resist it anymore. She let her hands wander along his muscular chest and arms. She ran her fingers over the multiple scars that were scattered over his body. In no way did they even begin to make him look disfigured. If nothing else it added to his sexiness. He bit down on that sensitive spot and her back arched involuntarily as a slight whimper escaped her. She dug her nails into his upper arms as he grinded his hips against hers and his lips worked their way lower. The towel slid down ever so slightly as he kept kissing toward her cleavage. It barely covered the nips of her breasts. Suddenly she snapped back to reality at the feel of the moving towel.

"If Misa gets over here before we leave then she 'will' insist on coming with us. Do you really wanna spend that much time cooped up in a car with her?" she was talking really fast and her breathing was heavy.

He looked amused. "So no fun?" he asked. "Not unless you want her tagging along." Ann replied. He laughed. "If you wanted me to stop, all you had to do was say so." He looked at her seriously. "But you are beginning to think faster on your feet." He suddenly bent down and kissed her with such a force it left her breathless and yearning.

He broke the kiss and pushed himself off her. Ann's head fell back onto the bed and she let herself relax for a moment. She looked up at Joker, who was going over her body with his eyes. She blushed and sat up, trying to preserve as much of her dignity as she could. She went to her closet and grabbed some clothes. Ann realized he wasn't leaving and gave him a look.

"I thought you had to get dressed." He said as he walked over to where she was standing. "I do." she said and gave him another look.

He's not seriously expecting me to change while he's standing there watching.

Apparently he was. He tugged at the towel around her body and her mind was screaming bloody murder. She glared at him and took her clothes to the bathroom. She could hear him laughing like a maniac as she shut the door and got dressed.

Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.

She opened the bathroom after she got dressed and did her make up. The last thing she needed was for him to be 'accidently' bumping into her while she was putting on eyeliner and mascara. She found him sitting on the bed wearing a pair of black pants and a black t shirt. He had on a black leather belt that had words written on the back of it that said: Life's a Joke. On his feet he had black combat boots that were a lot like hers. On the bed next to him was a black leather trench coat. It was a bit different than hers though. Ann's had leather cord wrapped around the edges. His was plain. He looked at her and realized what she was looking at. "It's been a damn long time since I wore it." He stated. Ann wasn't so much shocked at the coat. She was shocked because he was dressed almost exactly like her.

Is this how he dressed before he was the Joker?

**Maybe that's it**.

What?

**He knows you so well because he was once just like you.**

You think so?

**I think it's possible.**

It's weird how his mood changes so fast.

The phone rang.

"Shit. That would be Misa. Looks like it's time to go." She said. They were in a hurry to leave, as Misa would be sure to come by to make sure they hadn't left. Joker took the bags to the car as Ann wrote a note to Misa.

Heya Misa,

Left for OK about 5 minutes ago. Will be back later in the week, probably. My 'friend' decided to go with. Everything is fine and taken care of. Will call you when you cool down.

Love and kisses

Shadow

Ann made sure she had everything she needed and then she stuck the note in the crack of the door by the door knob. She locked the door. Joker was waiting for her in the car. He looked like a completely different person. No make up and no purple and green suit. It was kind of weird. Even weirder that they dressed alike. She couldn't get that out of her head. It was strange to think that the Joker had once been almost exactly like her.

Does that mean I could end up like him some day?

**I think its happening already**.

They pulled out of the parking spot and headed out of town.


	9. chapter 9

The drive to Oklahoma was 21 hours long. So they were going to have to stay at a motel over night. Ann didn't know how she was going to approach her grandmother. She hadn't seen her in almost 8 years. She should have visited her father more, but her grandmother was just so insufferable. She had, after all, moved across the country to get away from her and her never ending circle. Ann only hoped that she had changed. Maybe. Just maybe, they could start over and make up for the time that had been wasted.

Joker must have realized she was seriously thinking hard about something. They had been driving for an hour now, and they hadn't said more that a few words the whole time. Joker had his arm resting on the edge of the window. He was leaned back in his seat watching her. He was always watching her. Every time his eyes came upon her she felt a flutter in her heart. "What will we do tonight?" he asked. "Find a motel." Ann replied. He looked her over. "We could take turns at the wheel." He mentioned. "No. It's not necessary. If we did that we would be exhausted by the time we reach…." She stopped herself. "Your home?" he asked. "My home is in Gotham."

Joker waited a moment. "Home is where the heart is." He told her. She knew what she wanted to say, but she was unsure if she really wanted to say it. "Then I suppose home is where ever I am at the time."

He glanced at her from his lounging position. "So there's no one you care about at all then?" His tone was casual, but she could tell he was fishing for a more detailed answer.

"Well, Misa. And my father. Of course I care about them. But that doesn't really count as someone who has my heart." She replied, careful with how she answered.

"No one else? No ex boyfriend your still pining over? No random crush for a co worker?" Ah. That's where he was going with this.

"So what your really trying to ask is: is there some guy from my past that might show up out of nowhere causing problems?" She said sarcastically. He only looked at her, waiting for her to answer the question.

"No. No ex boyfriends. No hopeless romantic crushes. No dates, no kisses, no-" she glanced at him before continuing. "No sex."

"You must be nearly 26 by now. And your saying you've never dated anyone." He stated. A sly look came over him. "So I'm your first kiss then."

She felt her face flush at the memory. "Yes."

He looked pleased by this information. She replayed the conversation in her head a few times before something dawned on her. "How did you know I was almost 26?" She asked skeptically. He shrugged. "Lucky guess."

That was weird, she decided. The more she thought about it the less sense it made. It very well could have been a guess. But the way he had phrased it was off. You must be nearly 26 by now. It was almost like he had figured up her age going off something else.

It was silent awhile. Ann thought about turning the conversation around on him. But decided she'd rather not know how many women had come before her. It had to be a big number, judging by the way he kissed. Not that she had much to compare it to. But he definently wasn't bad at it.

"So, are you getting hungry yet? I think there's a town in a few miles." Ann was definitely hungry. "Sure. Food is always good." He replied.

Half an hour later they were sitting in an IHop eating pancakes. Ann chose strawberry pancakes and Joker chose blueberry. It was nice being able to eat in public with him. At one point during their breakfast Joker fed her a few bites of his pancakes and she did the same for him. It was kind of romantic. It was like they were just two ordinary people sharing breakfast. Joker paid the tab. He absolutely refused to let her even split it with him. It felt like a date.

After eating, Joker insisted on driving. Ann wasn't for sure if she really wanted him driving. He said that she had too much going on in her head to fully concentrate on the road. She had a suspicion that he just wanted to drive her car. Ann agreed that she had a lot on her mind, but it wasn't distracting her in any way. Ok, that was a lie. Joker was distracting her. Her constant thoughts of him made her on edge. But it hardly got in the way of her driving.

After a few hours of being on the road again she began to get fidgety. For some reason, the inability to be close to him was getting to her. It didn't bother her so much when she was driving because she had something to keep her distracted. But now that she was no longer driving it was annoying the hell out of her. It wasn't so much the fact that she 'wanted' to, but the fact that she had the inability to. Joker definitely noticed her fidgeting. He didn't comment on it though. Ann caught him looking at her weird a few times. "What's wrong?" he finally asked. "Nothing." she rubbed her arms. He raised his eyebrows. Ann looked out the window and absently started scratching a spot on her hand. "Ann. What's wrong?"

"I don't know what it is. I just…." she stopped herself. She did not want to tell him that she was craving his touch. He gave her a look that said 'seriously?'. "I wanna be close to you." She mumbled under her breath. He gave her a surprised look. "Come again?" he asked. "I wanna be friggin close to you!" Ann crossed her arms and looked back out the window. Her foot kept tapping the floor. She didn't even realize she was doing it.

"Come here." He said. She looked at him funny. Ann sat up and leaned over towards him. "No. Here. Right here." He nearly commanded her as he pointed to his lap. Her jaw dropped slightly. "You want me to…. sit over there?" She asked. He nodded. "While your driving?" He nodded again.

**Haha. Your getting what you asked for**.

Well, it's not like I haven't done worse.

Ann didn't really know how to go about getting into his lap. She leaned over him and he swerved a bit. Ann winced. "Ugh. Come here." He grabbed her around the waist and basically threw her at the driver's door. She wound up sitting on his lap with her back to the door and her feet in the passenger side seat. That nervous itchy feeling instantly got better when he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her body closer to him. They drove the rest of the day like that and only stopped twice to eat and once to use the bathroom.

The route they were taking didn't go through town a lot and they encountered absolutely no cops. It was actually a lot more comfortable than she would have expected it to be. Ann had found the most comfortable spot in his arms. By the time the sun started to set she had her face buried in his neck with her head resting on his shoulder. An hour or two later she was getting really tired. At some point she must have drifted off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Jokers POV

Having her in his arms wasn't as distracting as he expected it to be. If anything it was relaxing. He was pleased when she told him she wanted to be closer to him. He was surprised that she had admitted to it.

When he first encountered her, he didnt expect to be so drawn to her so quickly. Something pulled him to her. Like gravity, he could not escape it. He had been searching for so long. For her to let him under her defenses so soon said something as well.

He realized that she was asleep and decided to find a motel at the next town. It was only about 15 miles away.

He soon found a decent motel. It wasn't exactly 5 stars, but it wasn't decrepit either. He parked the car by the front and opened the door. He was careful to hold her in place so she didn't fall to the pavement. He then lifted her in his arms and carried her inside the motel.

He laid her on a couch that was in the lobby and went to the counter. The guy sitting behind the register looked bored as hell. At seeing Joker walk in his face perked up a bit. Joker asked for a room with one queen bed. The man gave him the keys and he paid. At seeing Joker pick Ann up in his arms the man's smile spread a bit. "She 'is' a willing hostage, right?" The man asked. Joker burst out laughing. This kid had a decent sense of humor. "She's tired." He replied.

The room was on the other end of the parking lot. Joker carried Ann to the room and laid her on the bed before going back and getting the car. He carried in their luggage and made sure to lock the car. He decided that he couldn't let her sleep in her clothes again, so he spent the next 10 minutes rummaging through her bag looking for her pajamas. When he finally found them he went back to Ann. He smiled. She was going to be so pissed. He pulled off her shirt and replaced it with the top to her pajamas. He did the same with her pants. He didn't touch her or look at her body like she would probably expect him to. After he got her dressed he placed her under the covers of the bed on the side away from the door.

He was protective over her. If someone were to barge in he wanted to be the one they had to go through first. He took off his shirt and replaced his pants with a pair of black athletic shorts then climbed into the bed. He pulled her against him and wrapped his arms around her like he always did and fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

Ann's POV

Ann woke up in a bed she didn't recognize in a room she didn't recognize. She sat up and looked around. She realized she was in a hotel room and remembered the drive in the car.

I must have fallen asleep before we got here.

She looked over at Joker, who was still asleep.

He must have paid for the motel and carried me in here. That's so nice.

**Take another look toots**.

She frowned and looked around. It took her a minute, but she eventually realized that she was no longer wearing her clothes. She was wearing her pajamas. Ann felt her face flush with anger. He had changed her!

** Ok, calm down. He's trying to get a reaction from you. Just forget about it. **

Forget about it? Hell no! That sunofabitch friggin changed me while I was sleeping!

**He probably didn't want you sleeping in your clothes again**.

Of course not! He doesn't want me sleeping in anything at all!

**You really wanna give him the reaction he's expecting? Then he'll be satisfied that he got under your skin. Just let it go**.

Ugh. Your right. I'll just act like I didn't care. I just can't believe it. His moods change all the time.

**Yours do too. And you have two people in your head instead of one**.

Ok. Point taken.

Ann had decided to let his stunt with the clothes slide. There was no way she was going to give him the reaction he wanted. She got up, showered, brushed her teeth, and got dressed.

She was brushing her hair when she walked out of the bathroom. Joker was awake and in the process of getting dressed. He was facing away from her and was bent over about to pull his pants up. She smiled and cantered over to him. Ann stopped at arms length from him and gave him a gentle push. He let out an inaudible yelp of surprise as he fell to the floor. "Oops. Looks like I caught you with your pants down." She laughed as he turned and gave her a sarcastic/half annoyed smirk. "No. You just like seeing me on the floor half naked." Ann raised her eyebrows. "Bow to my superiority." She said sarcastically and shifted her body sexily. A confused/surprised look spread across his face. Ann smiled and walked back to the mirror by the bathroom to do her makeup.

She watched him in the mirror pull his pants up. He gave her another look and glanced over at the open bag that her pajamas were laying on top of. He glanced back at her with a half surprised half arrogant look as a smile crept onto his face. He slowly walked over and stood behind her. He leaned over and placed his hands on either side of her on the counter. He then peeked over her shoulder and stared at her in the mirror.

Holy shit this is hilarious! He knows I know but he don't get why I'm not screaming at him. Now I know why he's always doing stuff like this! It's so friggin fun!

**Your welcome**.

Ann finished her make up and turned around to look at him. He slowly tilted his head to the side. She decided to play into it a little bit, so she pushed herself up to sit on the counter. She crossed her legs and rested her chin on her hands. She looked so innocent. "What?" She asked in a sweet voice. He eyed her warily. "You look nice in your pajamas." He said carefully. She smiled "Oh, thank you!" Ann said with a bit of excitement. He smiled. "You looked even better without them." She felt the anger grow a bit, but she controlled herself. It took patience. "Well, I guess it is true." she said with faked wonder. "Men 'do' want what they can't have." His eyebrows rose at that comment and she laughed. She got off the counter and began to walk to her suitcase when she felt his hands on her shoulders. Ann felt his body against her back.

"See, that's where your wrong, love. I could have you 'anytime' I want." He whispered into her ears. Ann shivered. "I just choose to let you come to me. It makes it more…. fun."

**You see that? You see what he just did?**

Totally freaked me out?

**He didn't get a reaction from the pajamas so he switched to trying to scare you**!

He did a good job.

Ann silently thanked Akira for the insight and turned to face him. All she did was smile. She leaned over and gave him a peck on his cheek then went to her luggage to put her things away. He suddenly grabbed her from behind and slammed her into the wall. Ann's eyes got wide for a second. She was not expecting that.

Holy shit! He's getting mad cause he cant get a reaction out of me!

**You better cut it out soon. He could lose his temper**.

I am NOT afraid of him.

**-cough-bullshit-cough** -

Ann looked up at his face. He didn't look mad. But there was something there that looked….. Her thoughts were cut short as his lips smashed into hers.

Hungry?

He broke the kiss slowly and looked her in the eyes. He pushed himself away from her and fell backwards onto the bed.

Yep. Definitely hunger in there.

**Definitely**.

Wait. He wasn't getting mad at the lack of response. He was getting turned on!

**Hahahaha! Your right! That's hilarious**.

No it's not! That means that he gets turned on weather he gets a reaction from me or not! I can't do neither!

**Come on. You know you want it.**

Go to hell.

At that moment, Joker gave her a strange look. "Huh?" He asked. Ann cursed when she realized she had said 'go to hell' out loud. "Oh. No, not you… Sorry." She was definitely frazzled. She hadn't let a slip out in years. Plus she had just realized that Joker was hiding a secret desire for her.

**Hiding? Secret? When has he EVER not made it known**?

I thought he was doing it to get a reaction!

**Your such a bad liar**.

Ann shook her head in confusion and went to the mirror around the corner. She stood there with her hands on the counter supporting her weight. She stared at herself in the mirror.

There is no way this is happening. Am I actually falling for him?

**A little late to ask yourself that**.

Damn it all to hell! What the fuck is he doing to me?

Ann was too preoccupied with her thoughts to even realize that Joker had walked up and was standing right behind her. Out of nowhere he jumped up and landed in a sitting position on the counter next to her. She jumped and regretted it instantly.

Sonofabitch! Now he's goinna rub it in that he freaked me out.

But he didn't. He didn't laugh. He didn't smile or smirk at her. He just looked for the longest time. It didn't feel like he was trying to figure her out or read her this time. He was looking at her just because he wanted to. After a long time he finally spoke. "Misa will be worried." Her eyebrows furrowed. "Um. Yeah. I probably shoulda called her yesterday. But I…" She didn't want to say it. So he said it for her, like usual. "You fell asleep in my lap while I was driving." Of course. "Yeah." She said. But he continued. "And then I carried you in here and laid you in bed. Then I got to watch you sleep." It felt kind of creepy that he watched her while she was asleep, but she was also flattered.

He's turning me into a love struck little girl.

**Yes. And just think how bad it would be if he was actually trying to**.

Ann pulled out her cell phone that she had bought before they left. "Man, once I call her she's goinna be calling all the time." Ann dialed her number. It rang for awhile then she picked up the phone. She was absolutely furious with her. After Ann calmed her down she assured her, once again, that everything was fine. Misa mentioned that Duane was worried about her and had stopped by yesterday. Ann glanced at Joker. She didn't say anything more about Duane. After that they hung up. Ann looked back at Joker and an idea popped into her head. She smiled. He looked at her strangely. "I'm goinna show you how we used have some fun." Her smile grew a bit. "Some fun?" he asked. "Yes, back when I was still living here." Ann dialed the number of an old friend. "I just hope she didn't change her number."

"Hello." A mans voice came from the other end. "Hi, can I talk to Ashley?" Ann asked. The guy answered "I don't know. What's the password?" He said with sarcasm. Ann smirked.

Arrogant little prick.

"You wouldn't be asking for a password if you knew who it was you were talking to." Ann said with a bit of malice. The guy stuttered "I, um, Annie?" he asked. "I'm still waiting." She replied with annoyance. "Hold on a sec. I'll get her."

A few moments passed and then she heard shuffling in the background. Ashley's voice came on. "Holy shit! If this is a prank I'm seriously goinna kick someone's ass! Is it really you?"

Ann smiled. "Who? Me? Tell me Ash. Did you miss me?" Ann heard a series of inaudible screaming on the other end. "Oh my fucking God! Where the hell have you been? Where are you?" Ann laughed. "I guess that's a yes. I'm about 4 hours from the pool hall and I have a friend here that needs some fun. I want you to set up a little party for tomorrow night."

Another series of screams. "Just like we used to? Same thing as before? What are you driving? Oh my God! I gotta call every body! Holy shit! Michaels goinna flip when he hears you back!"

"Nevermind him." Ann said with a sneer. "I don't want him there."

"Its goinna be hard to keep him away. He's goinna find out and show up. You know he will." She said. Ann rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well Ill just have to deal with him then. Try to get Lesha and Shawn to show up. Also, if you can find anyone from our old crew it would be great."

"Okay. But what are you driving? Did you find a sweet ride?" she asked

"69 Camaro." Ann told her.

Another set of screams came from the other end. "Kick ass! Oh, who's your friend?" she asked. Ann smiled. "Someone very special." she looked over at Joker who was listening to their conversation with a lot of interest. Ann smiled again. "Well is it a she or a he? Holy shit! Did you finally find someone worth loving?" She was about to blow a head gasket from the sound of it. "I'll let you meet him. You'll see for yourself. Bie, bie now." Ann hung up the phone.

Joker strolled over to her. "So what 'exactly' do you have planned for me?" She smiled. "You'll just have to wait and see."


	10. chapter 10

"Kick ass! Oh, who's your friend?" she asked. Ann smiled. "Someone very special." she looked over at Joker who was listening to their conversation with a lot of interest. Ann smiled again. "Well is it a she or a he? Holy shit! Did you finally find someone worth loving?" She was about to blow a head gasket from the sound of it. "I'll let you meet him. You'll see for yourself. Bie, bie now." Ann hung up the phone.

Joker strolled over to her. "So what 'exactly' do you have planned for me?" She smiled. "You'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

 

Ann and Joker got their things together and headed for Ann's home town. Ann drove, much to Joker's protest. She wasn't about to make her grand reappearance with someone else driving her car.

They stopped at another IHop an hour after they left. This time she tried pancakes with raspberries and Joker got blueberries on his again. Like before, they shared each other's meals.

For the hour after that he was constantly trying to get her to come clean about what she was planning. It didn't work. He kept a conversation going the entire time and every so often he would try and work in a question. When he did that she would just continue the conversation like he had never asked. The third hour he resorted to asking the same question over and over and over. The question was 'what'. Ann had begun repeating him. Every time he said what she said what. She was hoping to prove he wasn't bothering her and trying to bug him back a bit.

She finally got sick of it and turned the radio on and popped Bon Jovi into the cd player. Joker looked surprised at her. He stopped his annoying questions and they listened to the whole cd in silence. When the cd was over he started shuffling through her collection of cds. He found one and switched them. The next hour they went from cd to cd and talked about the artists and their music. He had stopped his attempts to get info out of her. At 11 am they stopped and got some lunch at an Arby's. They were only about an hour from where she used to cruise around.

As they were leaving Arby's Ann got a call from an unknown number. She answered. It was Ashley with an update on the 'party'. She kept her distance from Joker who was following her around the parking lot as she walked to keep him from hearing. Ashley reported that she had gotten a hold of almost everyone that they used to hang with. Shawn and Alicia had, surprisingly, gotten married. Who would have guessed? Everyone else was basically up to the same thing they were when Ann disappeared. At this point in the conversation Joker was chasing Ann around her car and she was trying to stay away from him.

Ashley said that everyone who was attending was already staying somewhere in town. Also, she said that she had managed to keep Michael out of the loop so far. Every one knew Ann hated Michael. He was an issue that she didn't want being brought up. He had a known reputation as a womanizer and rumor had it that he had raped several people. He was also a scam artist that always knew exactly what to say to everyone but Ann. She had a feeling that his wrap sheet had only gotten longer in the last 8 years.

For him Ann was the one that got away. She had the pleasure of beating his ass several times before when he had threatened Misa to try and get to her. Getting rid of his presence when she vanished was an added bonus to getting rid of her grandma. He had always had an attraction towards Ann. Too bad for him the feeling wasn't mutual.

Joker had finally caught up to Ann and grabbed her around the waist and she was laughing. Ashley was trying to figure out what was happening when she yelled "I gotta go Ash!" and hung up on her. Joker picked Ann up and threw her over his shoulder. He walked to the passenger side door and threw her into the seat. "I'm driving." He informed her. As soon as he began to walk to the other side Ann jumped over the middle console and locked the driver's door. He glared at her from the other side of the window. She stuck out her tongue and pointed to the open passenger door. He walked back around and got in. "You win for now." He said. Ann laughed. They headed out.

Ann called Ashley back and informed her that she would probably be making an appearance on main later that night. She also told Ash that she was going to drop by her grand parent's house. She said she'd see her at the fisherman. Ann said sure and hung up. "The fisherman?" Joker asked. "Oh, it's a local hang out spot. A convenience store where everyone parks, blasts music, drinks, and other stuff." Ann smiled at him. "People around here have a lot of respect for you." Ann glanced at him. "Yeah, kinda. Most of them did when I lived here. Or they usually got their asses beat. I don't know how much it's changed in the last 8 years though. I may have to 're-inspire' some people." Joker laughed.

An hour went by quickly and Ann found herself looking around her old town with wonder as they drove by. It hadn't changed much. There were a few additions but it was basically the same decrepit little town that she knew in her youth. "So this is it." Joker said. He looked around also. "Not much here. How did you keep from boredom?" he asked. She smiled. "I created anarchy."

Ann drove down Main Street, which was about 6 blocks long. It was around noon so there wasn't going to be a lot of her friends out. At the other end of main Ann saw an old blue truck parked at a convenience store named The Fisherman. She smiled and pulled in to a parking spot.

That's gotta be Ashley's truck. I still remember that thrice damned thing.

"What are we doing here?" Joker asked as Ann stepped out. She looked over at him "I figured I'd introduce you." As she closed the door to her car the clear glass doors to the store were flung open. Ashley ran out and literally almost plowed Ann over. She was surprised. Ash must have really missed her. After Ann got past the initial shock of her sudden appearance she realized she was trying to talk, but all her words were high pitched squeals and she was jumping up and down ecstatically.

Ann looked over her shoulder to Joker who had a slightly mortified look on his face. "Did you catch any of that?" She asked him. "Aside from the fact that she's the most hyperactive person I've ever seen? No." Ann laughed. Apparently Ashley had finally taken notice of Joker. She was obviously staring at him. Ann got a bit annoyed. "Oh my God. He's the hottest thing I've ever seen! Shit. You really picked a good one to fall in love with." Ann glared at her. "So come on. Introduce me." She demanded. Just then her eyes got wide. She hadn't thought of what she was going to call him while they were there. She had no idea what his name was. "Um, this is Ashley. Ashley… this is….." Joker spoke up. "Jak. Nice to meet you." He extended his hand for a hand shake. The relief on Ann's face was plain as day. Ashley looked at Ann and then shook his hand. She was blushing. Ann felt a pinch of anger in her stomach.

**Holy shit! Are you jealous?**

No!

**You are!**

I hate you.

Ash turned to Ann. "Wow. You got a keeper. Ok spill. Where the hell have you been?"

"Long story short, grandma broke my last thread of patience and I left. I'll tell you all about it later." Ann told her. Joker, or Jak, had walked up and was standing really close to Ann. She realized he was keeping her between him and Ash. Ann guess he noticed that she was getting annoyed. "I just seen your truck sittin here and decided to drop in. I gotta go to my ex-home and unload some luggage. I'll see you tonight? Does everybody still show up at the same time?"

"Same as always" she called over her shoulder as she walked back in the store. Ann noticed she gave one last long look at Joker before she closed the door. Ann glared after her and went back to the driver's seat of her car. She was so into him that she didn't even notice Ann's sweet Camaro. Joker got in and shut his door right after her. "Jak. So how much of 'that' was bs?" Ann asked. He looked over at her. "How much do you think?" Ann looked at him. "That's your real name, isn't it?" she asked. He smiled at her. "What do you think, love?" Ann shook her head.

Twenty minutes later they were on a back road headed for Ann's old house. She was assuming it was still there. It was the nicest house in the state. Eight extra bed rooms, lots of land, and Ann's room was the second biggest. If the bitch hadn't rented it out in spite of her. Ann pulled up to the mansion and the gate opened automatically. Johnson must have seen her on the monitor.

Ann parked her Camaro in the big circle driveway in front of the doors. The mansion was three stories high. Her room was the top story. Johnson opened the front door and smiled at her. Joker and Ann got out of the car and Ann walked around. Joker went to the back to get the bags but she stopped him by linking his arm in hers and walked up the stairs.

"Miss Annie. It's 'so' good to see you again." Johnson said with a big smile on his face. Joker gave him a weird look then extended it to her. Ann smiled at Johnson. "It's good to be back Johnson. I missed you too." She gave him a hug as they reached the top step. "This way miss." He said. "You don't have to walk me, I know my way. Oh, this is Jak by the way." Ann told him. Johnson nodded an acknowledgement as they followed him down the main hallway and into the main living room. They followed him through a series of hallways and he opened the doors to the aviary.

"Miss Mary Ann Giovanni and guest." He declared loudly. Johnson winked at her and closed the doors. He was smart. He knew this would likely get nasty. Joker was looking around the big glass bird cage. There were plants everywhere. This used to be Ann's favorite place in the house before she left. She noticed that the rose bushes needed trimming. Ann's grandmother was sitting in a chair by the pool. She stood up and walked over to her. "You look the same as you did eight years ago. Its good to see you Annie." She hugged her. Ann had a confused expression plastered on her face. "Um, hi grandmother." Ann said. She had been expecting a lecture or a yelling match. "And who's this? You boyfriend? Or fiancé maybe?" she asked.

Right. Like she's SO interested.

"This is Jak. My boyfriend." Ann told her. "Where is father?" Ann asked to change the subject.

"Oh. We had him moved here. His condition is….. stabalized." She told her. Ann's eyebrows furrowed as she continued. "The doctors didnt expect him to last a week. He seems to be doing better now." Ann felt sick. "Where is he." She asked her again. She could feel the tension in the air as she looked Joker up and down. "He's in his room." She said. Ann immediately walked toward the door. She wasn't here to have polite conversation with her grandmother. "Can I expect you to attend the ball this Sunday?" she called after Ann. Ann ignored her and left. Joker followed.

Go to a ball? Fat chance.

Ann made her way to her Father's room. Johnson was exiting when she got there. "How is he?" Ann asked. He frowned. "He's sleeping right now. He should be awake later or in the morning. He needs his rest." Ann cursed under her breath. Now what was she supposed to do. She definitely didn't want to stay here, and the fun didn't start till around 8. It was only a little after 1. "I took the liberty of moving your luggage to your old room, Miss." Johnson said. She thanked him and walked towards the set of stairs that would take her strait up to her room. When they got to her room she stopped. It had been a LONG time since she was in there. Joker had apparently gotten impatient and pushed past her to open the door.

The room was exactly the way she remembered it. There was a big tv on the wall with a really nice entertainment center that was stacked with all kinds of movies. The majority of them were medieval. There was also a large collection of Martial Arts movies and Japanese movies. The bed was a queen with black silk sheets. The canopy above it was black lace. The walls were a deep crimson red. The carpet was golden. Ann had her own bathroom that came complete with a Victorian style ball and claw bath tub and a big shower area. Joker walked in and looked around the room. Ann walked past him and let herself fall onto the bed. Joker walked over and laid down on the bed next to her. "So, what about this ball?" he asked. Ann frowned. "I'm ignoring that question." she replied. "But it would be so amusing." he said. Ann sighed. There was a knock at the door. "Enter." Ann said without moving. The door opened and her grandmother came in who was followed by Johnson who was carrying a big bag that was attached to a hanger. Ann groaned. She already knew what was coming.

"I got you a surprise." She said as Johnson hung the bag in the walk in closet. "I was hoping you could wear it Sunday." She informed Ann.

"I'm not going to any 'ball'." Ann said into the air. Joker spoke up, like she knew he would. "Oh. But why not, love? I think it would be fun." He said. "You would." Ann told him as she rolled over and flipped on the tv. "Now see. Your 'friend' has a good sense of taste." She said. Ann laughed. So did Joker. She looked at the two of them funny. Ann suddenly had an evil idea. "Ok. You convinced me. We will go." Ann said and smirked.

"We?" Her grandmother said in confusion as she slowly looked over at Joker. "Well, we need to get you a tux, Jak." Ann told him. His eyes got wide for a second then he smirked at her. This was a perfect way to get back at both of them. "Lets see what we got here." Ann said as she walked over to the closet and looked inside the bag. "Ooh! Look at that. One of your favorite colors, Jak 'darling'." His eyebrows rose. "Come now. Lets go find what you'll be wearing." Ann told him and grabbed his hand.

"Wait a minute. Your taking 'him' as your escort?" Ann's grandmother asked. She was in a state of panic. "Yep. And I'm going to have SO much fun." Her grandma looked a bit scared as she dragged Joker out of the room. They made their way to her car and they headed for Tulsa.

Thankfully Tulsa was only about a half hour away. They got there in half the time because Ann was driving WAY over the speed limit. She wasn't worried about cops. She was a master of getting out of speeding tickets. She could tell Joker was having a good time because of the smile that was playing on his lips while she was passing cars like crazy and taking turns sideways.

Once they got into Tulsa Ann went strait for the fanciest men's tailor in town. She walked in like she owned the place. Joker was right on her tail. He looked around the expensive store. Ann walked strait up to the man at the counter and explained that she needed a very nice suit for Sunday. She then pushed Joker towards the man and followed them as the man walked around showing Joker the various styles.

"Maybe you should go for a zuit suit." Ann snickered from behind and Joker gave her an amused look. "You want me dressing like a pimp at a fancy ball." He half laughed and shook his head. "Why not? I bet it would look good." Ann replied.

Later she was sitting in a chair outside of a changing room waiting for Joker's first pick of a suit. He came out in a traditional black and white suit. He looked too much like a business man for Ann to keep from laughing. She tried really hard, but it didn't work. He gave her a sarcastic smirk. "Were not going for classy here. You can mix it up a little. C'mon. Do something…'Jokerish'." Ann said. He smiled. "I was actually about to do just that. I figured I'd give you a laugh first." His smile grew as he went back to the changing room.

It didn't take him very long to change. Ann was surprised, usually men have problems the first time they get into a tux. Joker strolled out in a purple suit. It wasn't an obvious purple. The jacket was a bit longer than the normal tux. It was kinda like a zuit suit. From a distance it would appear black. His usual attire stood out a lot more. The look was complete with a dark green vest and black shirt. I smiled. "That's better." Ann said. "Whadda ya think, should I keep the hat?"he asked as he made a show of putting on a matching wide brimmed hat. He looked really good. Ann found herself staring at his ass in the mirror behind him. She hadn't even heard his question. Her head tilted to the side a bit. Joker noticed her distraction and looked over his shoulder at the mirror behind him and smiled. "Lemme give you a better look." He said as he turned around for her. Her smile grew a bit. "Smart ass." She said, but her eyes never left his butt. "Yeah, you like my smart ass don't you." He said sarcastically. Ann tore her gaze away from his ass. "I think we have a winner." She said and walked over to him. He smiled and snaked his arm around her waist. He pulled her into him and kissed her. She smiled into the kiss.

I am SO getting a picture of him like this.

**LEVERAGE**!

Haha. I didn't think about that. I just think it's funny.

Ann was about to pay for the suit when he pushed her out of the way. She landed in a chair by the check out desk and glared at him. He paid for it. Ann barely caught the price. It was VERY expensive. Close to a thousand dollars. He winked at her. Ann had brought well enough to pay for it. It looked like he had too. She silently wondered where he had gotten that much money. She then mentally slapped herself. He was the Joker. Of course he was going to have money. He stole from mob banks after all.

He insisted on driving. She was skeptical but allowed him to. He went strait for 71st street. For a minute she though he was just driving in a random direction, but then she realized that he actually had a destination. He took her out to eat at Logan's Steak house. It was her favorite place to eat. He paid, once again. After that he took her to Best Buy. She loved going to Best Buy because of their huge guitar selection and all their music. Strangely that was the first place he went, to the guitars.

He was looking at an amp by the wall of guitars. She was looking at the guitars. She had always wanted one, but never wasted the money for it. Today would probably be the same. She didn't get as much money as she had by spending it all on whatever she wanted. Not that it really mattered to her. She had never cared about money or 'objects'. In fact, she believed it was her grandmother that pushed her to hate money. It was ALL she cared about. Ann hated it. She hated the way society idolized money and labeled how important they were based on it. She hated that a good person could die of starvation while scum could live in luxury and comfort. She hated the way that people with money automatically had power.

Ann picked out a guitar and absently started to play with the strings. She didn't know much. She could play the intro to Nothing Else Matters by Metallica and part of Poison by Alice Cooper. That's about all she knew. Oh, she knew how to tune it.

Joker walked over to her. "Metallica." He said. Ann looked up and stopped playing. "Yeah, that's about all I know." He looked her over. "What are you thinking about?" he asked. His question caught her a bit off guard. He didn't usually come right out and ask. "The unnatural events of the world." she said. Most people wouldn't have understood what she meant. His face brightened a bit. "Money." He said. Ann frowned. "How did you know?" she asked. He smiled and sat down on the bench next to her. "I have had the exact same train of though before." she looked over at him and started playing Metallica again. "Really?" she asked. He half laughed. "Yeah. Really. Something along the lines of 'why is it that evil people can live the good life while good people starve'." He said to her. She looked at him in wonder.

"Close. But I know why." Ann replied. He gave her a surprised look. "It's because human nature is evil. People are raised to believe that money is the most important thing in the world. Every one that has it is in control and has power while those that don't live a helpless and hopeless life. Well, I make my own power, and it has nothing to do with money." She told him. He smiled.

"Now, think what would happen if you could change that." He said. "I have actually. You would have to be a master strategist and excellent manipulator. You would have to break down a person's entire way of thinking from the inside out." His smile got a bit bigger. "You do think like me. Who knows? In a few years you might be standing where I am now. Maybe even sooner."

Ann looked at him. "I'm not you. I write my own destiny." She told him. He smiled. "But your writing it exactly how I wrote mine." Ann thought about it for awhile. They sat there in silence for a minute. Ann decided she wanted to look at some music so she put the guitar up. Joker said he had to do something and asked for the car keys. Ann tossed him the keys without thinking of it. It didn't even cross her mind that he'd steal her car or anything like that.

She browsed for awhile and finally picked out Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park. She looked around for Joker but didn't see him anywhere. So she went out to her car. Joker was leaning against the driver's side door waiting for her. She walked up to him and showed him the cd she bought. "Nice choice." He said. He opened the door for her and she nearly fainted.

There in the front seat of her car was the exact guitar that she had been playing in the store. Her jaw dropped wide open. "You….You bought the guitar!" she stated. It had a big purple bow on the neck. Ann felt his arms wrap around her. "I can teach you how to use it if you want." He told her. Ann was in a state of shock as she nodded. She couldn't believe it. "You bought me a guitar." She said in wonder. She was half gone. "Yes, love. I bought you a guitar. 'Your' guitar. I got you an amp too." He informed her and kissed her cheek. "I always wanted one." She said. She turned around and hugged him around the neck. He turned his head to rest against hers. She heard him inhale deeply. "I can't believe you bought me a guitar." She told him.

He laughed. "Maybe I should drive back." She smiled at him. "You just wanna drive my car again." He stumbled backward like she had hit him. He gasped. "You figured me out. I am at your mercy." She laughed as he did a side step towards the car and got in the driver's door. Ann shook her head and went to the other side.

She sat the guitar in the back seat with the amp and got inside. On the way back she ended up in his lap again. An idea crossed her mind. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to do it. If she took it too far then there would be consequences. She decided to go for it. She was an impulsive person after all.

She reached up and nipped at his ear. She felt him tense up beneath her and his grip on the wheel tightened ever so slightly.

Ooh. That got him.

She took it a step further and slid her hand between his knees as she slowly kissed his neck. His breathing got a bit heavier when she slid her hand further up. Ann felt the car accelerate a little and smiled as she continued to kiss his neck. "Ann, what are you doing?" He asked. She knew he knew the answer. So she said nothing and continued. She felt a surge go through her body when she bit his neck and she heard him inhale sharply. "Don't go too far, love. I won't be able to stop." Ann turned his face to hers and kissed him. She smashed her lips against his and ran her fingers down his jaw line. She heard him mutter a curse and he jerked the wheel just in time to avoid hitting a car. She giggled. He turned his head and looked at her. She let her hand wander up to caress his crotch and she watched as his eyes rolled back for a second and his body tensed up again.

"Watch the road, darling." Ann whispered in his ear and nipped it again. He suddenly slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the side of the highway. People behind them honked and flipped them off while driving past. Ann ignored them.

As soon as the car stopped he put it in neutral and leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes tightly. Ann watched him. It was like he was fighting with himself. He was still breathing heavy and his hands were clenched on the wheel. She wondered if she had gone too far, but then, she wanted to know 'exactly' what going to far would do. She was hoping that the curious cat didn't come back to bite her in the ass.

After a moment he opened his eyes and slowly turned to look at her. She leaned back a bit warily. His gaze said he wanted something and he would kill for it. He reached his hand up and grasped her behind the neck and slowly pulled her into a kiss. He turned her to where she was facing the front of the car then grabbed her hips and yanked backwards towards him. She gasped as she felt 'all' of him against her through the clothes. A shock went through her body when he did it again.

He yanked her backwards a third time and bit down hard on her neck. Ann inhaled and moaned slightly as her back arched against him. She felt his hand slip under her shirt and slide over her bare stomach. His touch sent electricity through her. His other hand jerked at her hips again and she felt him grind against her. Ann leaned her head back and his lips found hers. Ann moaned into his mouth. He bit down and she tasted blood. His lips moved and she felt him nip at her ear as his hand moved from her stomach to the inside of her thighs and slid upwards almost as far as it could go. "Does it feel good, love?" He growled into her ear.

Ann moaned as he massaged her thigh and bit down on her ear hard. "In the song Bed of Nails, he's talking about more than sex." She felt him grind into her again and she gasped. "He's talking about 'pain'. Can you feel it?" She turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were heavy with lust. He kissed her neck as his hand rubbed her sex through her jeans. Her eyes got wide and they rolled back in her head. "Do you want to?" he whispered to her. He then bit down on her neck again and she barely kept herself from screaming.

He jerked her against him one last time then stopped. She could hear her heavy breathing over his. Ann managed to turn her head and look at him. The same pained expression was on his face. He suddenly opened the door and sat her on her feet. She shook and nearly fell over. She had to hold the door to keep from crashing to the pavement.

Ann moved away from the door and leaned her back against the car. She felt like she was about to collapse. He got out of the car seconds later and placed his hands on either side of her body against the car. He bent down and looked at her. His gaze alone almost made her lose her balance and she felt her legs shake. He tilted his head down and to the side a bit. The look he was giving her felt like it was melting her bones.

"Now you know what I meant…. when I warned you about going too far." He was still breathing heavily. They were both lusting after each other. It was almost dark by now and the cold air made her realize she was sweating. Suddenly Ann was cold and she shivered. His gaze lightened and he took off his coat and wrapped it around her. He then picked her up and got back in the car with her in his lap. After he began driving again she leaned her head against his shoulder and pressed her body against him for the warmth. "I'm sorry." She said sincerely. She saw him smile. He turned his head and kissed her forehead. He turned the heater on and after a few minutes she wasn't cold anymore. Ann buried her face in his shoulder and grasped his shirt with her free hand.

"It wasn't entirely your fault." He told her ten minutes later. "Bullshit." She said. "No, I should have more control than that."He immediately corrected her. Ann thought about it for a minute. "You mean, that wouldn't have normally happened?" she asked. He laughed quietly. "No, that wouldn't have happened. Not that quick." She smiled. "So, I turn you on more than other women?" This time he laughed full out without holding back. He turned and looked at her. "All it takes is one look." He tilted his head down a bit to stare at her. He wasn't watching the road. They were in a staring contest.

After about ten seconds Ann glanced out the windshield and back at him. He still didn't look away. "Watch the road damn it." she whispered. He turned the wheel to avoid a car, but still didn't look away from her. He accelerated. Ann nervously looked back at the road then back to him. "What are you doing? Lookout!" He ignored her complaint and swerved around another car. He came close to hitting the one in front of it, but he managed to avoid it by getting on the shoulder of the highway and passing. Ann looked at the speed. "Holy shit! 110! Your doing 110 without looking!" She screamed at him. "And yet I haven't hit anything. Amazing." He said in a calm voice. "I drive like a maniac too, but I look at the fuckin road!" She yelled back at him. Ann looked out at the road again then back to him. On an impulse she buried her face in his neck and gripped at his shirt. "Please stop, Jak!" she said in urgency. Ann heard him laugh slightly as she felt the car start to slow down and she sighed in relief.

She realized his hand was playing with her hair. "That's the first time you've ever said please." He told her. She frowned. "Well, don't get used to it. I don't say please." He laughed again. "Well apparently you do."

Ok. That was a bit freaky.

"Do I want to know how you did that?" She asked him as she climbed back into her own seat. He smiled. "Peripheral vision." Ann nearly burst out in laughter. "Really? That's amazing." she told him. "You could probably do it if you tried. It isn't that hard." He informed her. "I played the flute in high school. Marching involved coordination and peripheral vision." She told him. He smiled. "Then you should have no problems. I didn't figure you the type to be in a marching band." He said. "I like music. So, naturally, I like to create it. It was actually fun. It was about the only thing I cared about back then. That and Misa." She explained.

"Your really protective of her, aren't you?" He asked. "Yes. She has been my only constant friend since I was five. Every other person I have ever met has stabbed me in the back somehow. Well, everyone but you. That's why I care for her so much." "And you would kill for her." He said. "I would kill for many reasons. I would die to protect her." Ann told him. She didn't like where the conversation was headed. "And me? Would you die for me, Ann?" He asked. Somehow she knew he was going to go there. "Would you for me?" She asked him.

"That's beside the point." He said. "No its not." Ann told him. "Your avoiding the question." He said to her. "So are you." she retorted. "Are you afraid to hurt my feelings?" He asked. "No." she replied. "Then you would."

Ann mentally cursed herself for walking into that. It was either admit that she cared for him or say she didn't. He knew it was one or the other. He had just figured it out. "You knew the answer already. So why did you ask?" She looked at him. "I wanted to hear you say it." He said. Ann looked out the window and watched the scenery go by. "Okay then. Yes, I care for you. And if I knew that dying would save your life then…. yes I would do it. But you knew that already." She told him. "I knew you cared. I didn't know you'd die for me though." He smiled and glanced at her. Ann looked over at him in disbelief. "You were bluffing!" She smacked him in the arm which caused him to laugh and lean away. Ann leaned back in her seat and laughed a little. "You were bluffing." She looked up at the ceiling of the car then back at him. He was alternating between looking at her and looking at the road with a big smile. "I can't believe you were bluffing." She said as she smacked him in the arm again. They both laughed.

"We going back to the house or somewhere 'else'?" He asked after they had both caught their breath. Ann looked at the clock on the radio. "You remember how to get to the Fisherman?" She asked him and he nodded. "That's where were going. If we go back to the house first then we'll miss the drags." She told him. "Ah." He commented to himself. "You plan on dragging?" he asked. "I don't know. If I feel like it. This car will smoke anything around here, so there's not much of a point." She told him.

Ten minutes later they were cruising down Main Street. There were a lot of people partying and rocking out in their cars. They came to the end of Main and pulled in to the Fisherman. There was already a party going on. The parking lot was lined with cars and loud music was playing over the car's speakers. People were sitting on the hoods of their cars, drinking beer, and chatting it up.

"Aren't there any cops in this place?" Joker asked her. Ann laughed. "Yeah, but they don't give a shit." she pointed over to a young cop leaning against the wall of the store who was drinking a beer and flirting with some chick. Joker laughed. "It's worse than Gotham." He said. "Nope. Its better." Ann told him.

They got out of the car and Ann was met by Ashley who had a crowd of guys hovering around her, like usual. Ann saw a lot of people she knew. Shawn came up to her and they slapped their hands together and pulled them apart in the usual hand shake that they used to use. Before Ann could say a single word Alicia ran up and ecstatically shouted 'hi' at her. "God. It's been forever." Shawn said. "Yeah." Ann replied. She then took the time to introduce them to Jak. Him and Shawn hit it off really good. Alicia and Ashley were alternating in questions about where Ann had been and why she had left, etc. Some dude asked Ashley to dance so Ann took the opportunity to excuse herself. She looked over at Joker. "You wanna beer?" She shouted to him. He nodded. Ann walked over to the store and stepped inside. "Shadow!" Ann heard someone say as she walked to the counter. It was Robbie. He had worked there when she was still coming here to party. "Hey, man. What's up?" Ann said as they 'shook hands'. "You here for beer?" He asked. "Yeah. Two."She said. He looked at her funny. "Two? Your actually buying someone else a beer?" Ann laughed. "Lets just say I found someone with a decent sense of humor." He handed her two bottles of Budweiser. "On the house. And I wanna meet this guy." He said. Ann laughed. "Thanks, I'll bring him in before we leave." she said as she exited the store.

As soon as she stepped out of the store someone ran into her. The guy turned around and she grimaced. It was Michael. "Hey, Annie, baby! Your back!" he said to her. "Ick, and now I'm gone again." she said and began to walk off. He moved to where he was in front of her. "What? So soon?" Ann's eyebrows rose.

"Move." she demanded. He just stood there so she pushed her way past him and walked towards Joker. Michael followed. People kept getting in her way so it was making it difficult to get away from him. Ann noticed that Ashley had seen Michael bothering her and was pointing her out to Joker. The crowed thinned out as Ann approached her car and Joker. He was watching. Ann felt a bit of relief. Just then Michael grabbed her by the wrist. Ann whirled around to face him. "What? You forget about me kicking your ass and you want a reminder? Touch me again and I'll send you to your grave." She was literally about to shove her foot up his ass when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Ann turned her head. "Is there a problem, love?" Joker asked her. She sighed in relief. "And who the fuck are you? You wanna step in, pretty boy?" Michael said to Joker. Joker smiled at him. "Oh God." Ann said to herself. "There are worse things than death, you little shit. Speak to me like that again and I'll show you what they are." He said politely to Michael. By now a crowd had formed around them.

"Jak, come on. Let's not do this here." Ann said and tried to pull on his arm. It was a bit difficult with the beer in her hands. Ashley came over. "Come on Michael. Just leave us alone." Ashley told him. "Just as soon as she gives me a beer." Michael said. He never took his eyes off Joker. "How about I take this beer and shove it up you ass?" Ann said as she stepped towards him. "Hold on a minute. Just stop." Ashley said and got between them. "Get outta my way, bitch." He said and grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground. Ann made a move to attack him but Joker stepped in front of her. "Well, good job idiot." Ann said to him. "I might have let your ass go with a beating, but he won't." Ann helped Ashley to her feet and stepped back a bit.

Ashley looked confused at her then stepped back beside her. "C'mon. Try n hit me you ignorant little prick." Joker taunted. Michael swung and Joker sidestepped and close lined him in the neck. Michael fell to the ground and picked himself back up. He charged and Joker sidestepped him again. This time he extended his foot and landed a kick to Michael's face. Michael's nose was bloody.

He picked himself back up again and tried to punch Joker again. Joker caught his arm and twisted it behind his back. There was a sickening 'pop' sound and Michael screamed. Joker released his arm and Michael fell to the ground. He, surprisingly, got up once more and tried one final time to hit Joker. It was a pathetic attempt. Joker caught his fist in his hand and squeezed. Michael screamed again and Ann heard bones crack. Joker walked a circle around Michael. He kicked Michael in the back of the legs. Michael fell to his knees. Joker grabbed him by the hair and a knife appeared in his other hand. He held the knife to Michael's face.

"Apologize." He commanded. Michael looked up at Ann and Ashley. "Sorry." He slurred. "For?" Joker asked. "For hurting you." Michael said to Ashley. "Wrong." Joker said and a bead of blood appeared where the knife was being pressed against Michael's face. "Say your sorry for being born and you wish you could be more like a man." Joker informed him. Michael repeated it to Ann and Ashley. "Now, if I ever see you again or hear about you again, I will find you and make your deepest fears come true. Understand?" "Y-yes." Michael stuttered.

Joker released him and the crowd cheered. Ann smiled and handed him a beer. He popped off the cap and took a drink. Just then the cop from before strolled into their line of sight. Joker rolled his eyes and raised his hands in the air. The cop looked at Joker strangely then kicked Michael, who was still kneeling on the ground, in the stomach. "Didn't I tell you not to cause any more problems? Come on." He put handcuffs on Michael and took him to his squad car. Ann laughed when Joker gave her a confused look and slowly put his hands down. "I told you the cops here are better." Ann said to him. "Thank you." Ashley told him. Joker just faked a smile. Just then, 3 or 4 guys came up and started fawning over Ashley and asking if she was ok. They basically carried her inside the store. "Thanks Jak." Ann told him. He smiled genuinely this time. "Your welcome." He said.

"Hey Annie, Why's your guitar have a bow on it?" Shawn asked suddenly. Ann realized he was looking through the open window of her car. "Oh. Jak bought it for me. I don't know how to play it yet. He's going to teach me." She said and smiled. Ashley, who had apparently ditched her crowd of guys, spoke up. "Oh! Play us a song, Jak!" The crowd of people cheered again. They were still watching Joker, who had become the center of attention. He held up his hands and backed up a bit. "No thanks, I don't play for people." He said loud enough for everyone to hear. Ann smiled and nudged him. "C'mon. I wanna hear you play too." she said. He sighed. "Only for you." He told her. The people yelled excitedly and the music in the background went silent. He went to the car and got the guitar. Someone brought an amp out of nowhere and handed him the cord. He checked the guitar to make sure it was in tune. He handed the guitar to Ann and picked her up and sat her on the hood of her car then took the guitar back. He faced her and the crowd was to his right. He started to play.

You always knew that I'd come back to get you

and I always knew that it wouldn't be easy

To go back to the start to see where it began

Or end up at the bottom to watch how it all ends

I tried to lie and say "I was nothing to you"

I remember when you said "I'm nothing without you"

So now I found a way to get lost in you

Let me inside, let me get close to you

I'll change your mind, I'll get lost if you want me to

So now I've found a way to get lost in you

You always thought that I left myself open

But you didn't know I was already broken

I told myself that it wouldn't be so bad

Pulling away took everything I had

You tried to lie and say "You were nothing to me"

I remember when I said "I'm nothing without you"

So now I found a way to get lost in you

Let me inside, let me get close to you

I'll change your mind, I'll get lost if you want me to

So now I've found a way to get lost in you

The pain of it all

The rise and the fall

I see it all in you

Now everyday

I find myself say

"I want to get lost in you"

I'm nothing without you

The people cheered but Ann didn't pay any attention to them. The only thing she could see was 'him' and the look in his eyes when he was singing that song. She knew he wasn't just talking about her, he was talking about her mind. He liked going head to head with her mentally. He was the only person she had ever found that could beat her at it, every time. Thinking back, she didn't think she had ever won a battle with him. What she was winning, however, was him, and she didn't even know it.

Ann watched as Joker handed the guitar to Shawn, who took it back to the car. Ashley nudged Ann and jumped up onto the hood with her. "You got a good man, there. I'd keep him." She whispered to Ann. Ann smiled. "I plan on it." she told her. The music resumed and Bodies by Drowning Pool started playing. Just then Robbie walked over to Joker and extended his hand. Joker looked at him for a second and shook it reluctantly.

"Dude. I gotta hand it to you. Your something else. Congratulations." He said to Joker who looked confused. "For what?" He asked. Robbie laughed. "Are you kidding? For getting her." He pointed to Ann. "There aint no one in this world that could get her. You gotta be a smart mofo to catch her attention. I've never seen her like this. She has never shown interest in ANYONE. Besides that, she's never bought a beer for anyone before. Your something else. And she's living proof. So congratulations." He told Joker. Joker smiled. "Thanks." They both walked over to Ann and Ashley.

Ann scooted to the edge of the car so that Joker was standing between her legs. Ann reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "That was sweet." she told him. He smiled and put his hands on her sides. Ashley scooted over to me. "You know, there's something awfully familiar about you." She said to Joker. Ann felt a bit of paranoia wash over her. "Really?" Joker asked her. "Hey, you said you've been living in Gotham, right?" She nudged Ann.

"Yeah. Ever since I left." Ann said. "That's it!" she exclaimed. "You look like the Joker." She told him. Ann heard a stream of curses inside her head. "Oh, no way. I'm much to hansom to be the Joker." He told her. Ann laughed. "Well, we have a busy day tomorrow. We had better get going." she said. "Wait a minute. Hey, Jak, can you give us a minute?" Ashley asked. Ann's eyes showed panic when she looked at him. "Sure." He said and walked over to talk to Shawn. He watched them from a distance.

"Your hiding something." Ashley said to Ann. Ann smiled. "When am I not?" she asked her. "I was right, wasn't I?" She asked. She seemed determined. "No. He's not the Joker, Ash. Your so paranoid." Ann told her. She gave her a look. "You're the one who's been acting paranoid. Look, I wanna go with you when you leave again." She said. Ann gave her a shocked look. "You want to move to Gotham?" Ann asked in surprise. "Hell yeah! There's nothing to friggin do here! Besides, I can't have you running of and disappearing for another 8 years without me. I'll miss all the fun." She told Ann. Ann looked towards the sky and silently asked for help from whoever might be out there. "You'll need a place to stay and a job. It's hard to get either without the other. Believe me, I know." Ann told her. "Lemme talk to Jak about it and I'll let you know. Ok?" She nodded and jumped off the car and walked off. Joker walked back to her.

"She suspects." Ann told him. He nodded. "I know." He said. "She also wants to move to Gotham. She would need a place to stay till she found one of her own. That automatically makes me the perfect candidate." Ann looked over at him. "That means she would have to know the truth, cause she'd find out either way. Better to prepare her." He said.

"That's why I wanted to talk to you." Ann said. "I don't want to tell her no. Hell, I left this place. I know what it feels like to want out. But, I cant say yes without her knowing about you." He smiled. "She basically knows already." He said and shook his head. "How do you get me into these situations?" He asked her. She laughed. "I've been asking myself that for years." He smiled. "Ok then. Tell her the truth, hope for the best, and laugh a lot." He said to her.

Ann gave him a surprised look. "You want me to tell her?" she asked. "Sure, she seems ok, except for all the perkiness. Besides, I think it would be interesting to have her around." Ann gawked at him. "Interesting? Your kind of interesting?" she asked. He smiled. "Well, of course." Ann sighed. "Great. That means more mind games and pranks." He laughed. "But this time, it won't all be directed at you." He looked at her. Ann smiled when she realized what he was talking about.

Oh, this will be fun.

Agreed.


	11. Chapter 11

"Interesting? Your kind of interesting?" she asked. He smiled. "Well, of course." Ann sighed. "Great. That means more mind games and pranks." He laughed. "But this time, it won't all be directed at you." He looked at her. She smiled when she realized what he was talking about.

Oh, this will be fun.

**Agreed.**

 

Ann spent the rest of the night contemplating how to tell Ashley about Joker. She was going to flip out when she knew the truth. It wouldn't be as bad as Misa though. Ashley was always a bit more close to Ann's psycho side than Misa was. Hell, she might even end up working for him too. Ann laughed inwardly at the thought of Ashley running through Gotham with a gun aimed at random people. Ashley had noticed Ann was thinking awfully hard about something. She was constantly talking about the Joker. It was about to make Ann crazy. Joker himself found the entire situation amusing. Once it began to get later in the night and the party started to die down Joker and Ann left for her grandparent's house.

Ann walked into her old room and collapsed onto the bed. Jak was right behind her. He took off his coat and shirt then proceeded to lay down next to her. Ann had already stripped her coat off and laid it in a chair by the door. Ann went to the drawer where she had unpacked her things to find her pajamas. She then remembered leaving them on the bed. "Shit." Ann mumbled. Joker looked up at her. "Something wrong?" he asked. "Johnson must have taken my pajamas to wash them. I don't have anything to wear." Joker looked her up and down. He reached over and tossed her his shirt that he had just removed. Ann caught it and stared at it a moment. "No. No way." she told him. He looked at her. "What else are you going to wear?" he asked. For the second time that night Ann looked upward and silently asked for help from an unknown source. She then went to the bathroom to change.

 

* * *

 

 

Ten minutes later she was still in the bathroom.

I refuse!

**Its not that bad. You being childish.**

I am not going out there!

Akirah and Ann had been arguing ever since she had put Joker's shirt on. The black shirt covered the top half of her body nicely. The bottom half was a different story. The shirt stopped at the midway point of her butt, which left her legs and her black panties completely exposed. There was a knock on the door and Ann jumped. "You coming out any time tonight?" She heard Joker's voice ask from the other side of the door. "Um, In a minute." She said back and went to the door to lean against it. "Its been 12 minutes, love." He said to her. Ann could hear his voice more clearly being by the door.

"Your counting? I didn't think you were 'that' desperate." She said with a snicker. "Every moment is a millennia." He replied sarcastically. "Come out. I know your done changing." He told her. "I will when I'm ready." She protested. Akirah took her moment of distraction and used it as leverage to scream out to him. "She won't come out! She says she refuses!" Ann slapped her hands over her mouth and cursed loudly. "I'll give you one minute, then I'm coming in after you." He told her.

I hate you.

**Your being silly. What would you do with out me?**

Whose side are you on?

Ann locked the door. She heard him sigh from the other side. "You know that won't stop me." He said directly. "30 seconds." Ann closed her eyes and counted backwards. She reached 20, then 15, then 10. "Ten seconds. You should move away from the door." He said. "Ugh! Fine." Ann yelled. She threw open the door and quickly turned around to face away from him. She didn't want to see his expression. She had her eyes closed but she could still hear him walk towards her. Ann's heart beat accelerated a bit at hearing his foot steps right behind her.

"Was that so hard?" he asked. Ann could almost feel the heat off his body. She knew his gaze was going over her long and slender legs. "You have nothing to be ashamed of." He told her. "And who said I was ashamed?" she asked. He laughed quietly. "Well, your either ashamed or frightened. Which is it?" He asked. Ann was finding it hard to believe that he hadn't touched her yet. "Neither." she said. "So then what's the problem? Why won't you look at me?"

Ann could tell he was smirking by his tone of voice as he walked around her. She heard the bathroom door close and opened her eyes. He was standing directly in front of her. He stepped forward which forced her to step back. Ann's back came in contact with the door. He placed his hand on the door by her head and leaned towards her. Their faces were inches apart.

"I'm not afraid of you." She told him. He smiled. "Then what 'do' you fear?" he asked her. She didn't answer and looked away, but her eyes came to rest on his reflection in the mirror. "Perhaps you fear yourself? You fear what you could do with me if we were left 'alone' for one night."

He reads my mind **.**

**That's what he's good at.**

Ann couldn't take it any longer. He leaned in farther, but before he could come closer she closed the distance between them and kissed him first. His eyebrows rose in surprise and he stepped closer to her. Ann's heart accelerated again and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He snaked his arms around her waste and pulled her body against him.

He lifted her off her feet and she felt her back slam against the door. Ann lifted her legs and wrapped them around his torso. There was an ache between her legs. Ann gasped as he pressed his body against her and she felt him through the thin fabric. She ran her fingers through his hair and tugged lightly to pull his head back. She bent down and kissed his neck, nipping at it every few seconds.

Every time her teeth made contact it caused him to jerk slightly. She heard him moan when she bit down harder and he pressed against her again. The pressure of his body against hers caused her body to jerk and her teeth came down a bit harder. Ann heard him suck in his breath. He moaned slightly again. "Not too far, Ann. Remember, don't go too far." He whispered as he leaned his head back further. The ache got worse.

She yanked his face back up and he kissed her. She dug her fingernails into his shoulders and dragged them down his chest. Ann moaned again when he pushed against her. He kissed a trail from her lips down her jaw line and to her neck. He bit down on her flesh and she threw her head back against the door. "More." she whispered. He grunted and slammed her back against the door again. His hands slid up the back of his shirt and she felt him grasping at her bare skin.

"More, Jak. More." she said to him. He bit at her neck again. "Say please." He growled into her ear. Ann groaned and grabbed him by the hair and forced him to look at her. "For once, don't make this into a game." He smirked and rubbed his nose against hers. "Life is a game, love." Ann growled. "I'm giving you what you want. So take it!" she yelled at him. His smile grew a bit. "I just wanted a kiss. You started it."

Ann pulled him to her by his hair and slammed her lips against his. She felt his teeth brush against her lips right before he bit them and she tasted her blood in her mouth. Ann felt his fingernails dig into her back when she bit him like he had bitten her. It suddenly registered in her mind that he liked the pain.

She broke the kiss and bent down to bite him hard in the shoulder. He jerked forward and slammed into her, hitting that most sensitive spot.. She felt his hot blood on her lips and she sucked on the wound she had inflicted on him. He moaned and threw his head back. She bit him again in the same spot. He growled and slammed his fist into the door before he pushed himself into her again. Ann pulled away from his shoulder and leaned her head against the door. She looked at him and licked and licked the blood from her lips. He was breathing heavily and he had the same murderous stare in his eyes.

Ann could tell that she was about to get what she wanted. He looked like he was about to snap. They stared at each other like that for the longest time. Seconds felt like hours. Ann trailed her hand down his chest and leaned down to nuzzle her face in his neck. She felt his hands trail down her back and come to rest on her butt. He squeezed and her breathing got slightly harder. She kissed his neck just under his jaw line.

He lifted her away from the door and carried her out to the bedroom. He threw her onto the bed and she bounced slightly. He undid his pants and let them fall to the floor. Her eyes were transfixed on him as he stepped out of his discarded pants. She saw him smirk as he crawled on top of her. He looked a bit different from before. Something in his eyes looked more…. mischievous?

He bent down and slowly brushed his lips against hers. Ann leaned forward to deepen the kiss but he pulled away at the last second. She felt his hand slide between her legs and she froze. He smiled and began kissing her neck. Ann moaned when he nipped at her and caressed the inside of her thigh. His free hand went to her hip and he pressed against the pressure point. She gasped and her hips bucked forward.

His other hand slid up further and he bit her neck lightly. Ann clawed at his chest with one hand and gripped his arm with the other. His arm was too muscled for her hand to wrap around it. She dug her nails into his skin and he bit her neck harder in response. His hand slid up as far as it could go and he began rubbing the sensitive area through the thin fabric.

Ann moaned and arched her back. His lips moved to hers and he kissed her passionately. The pleasure was too much for her to control herself and she began moaning uncontrollably. His other hand pressed against her hip again she jerked forward. After a few moments his hand stopped and his lips left hers. She realized she had her eyes closed and she opened them. "Say please, Shadow." He whispered in her ear. "Don't stop." She said a bit loudly. Ann could hear the smile in his voice. "Say please." Ann groaned and rolled her head to the side.

"I won't." His fingers moved slightly and she jerked. "Say it." He demanded. His hands slid up her stomach to her breasts and he rubbed his thumbs over her nipples through the fabric of his shirt. She whimpered and closed her eyes, silently begging him to keep going. But she wouldn't say it aloud.

"Just one word. And I'll give you what you want so badly." He taunted.

She threw her head back, anger and want coursing through her. "Ugh you sadistic fuck." She seethed.

He tangled a hand in her hair and forced her to look back at him. A flash of anger in his eyes shot fear up her spine. "You want me to be a sadistic fuck?"

His hold on her hair tightened and she winced. "Have it your way then." He slipped a finger under her panties and yanked. They tore away from her and he flung them across the room.

A fresh wave of fear coursed through her. She tried to scoot away, but his grip on her hair kept her in place. She tried crossing her legs, but he brought his knee up between her thighs, keeping them in place.

"Your acting like a child playing dangerous games." He taunted, his free hand ran up her leg. She was petrified, but the fear slowly faded when he brought his hand to the exposed flesh between her legs. She was already wet with anticipation. Joker smirked at her as he played with the proof of her arousal under his fingers.

Ann bit her lip, determined not to give him the satisfaction he was looking for. He changed his tactic and moved his fingers to slowly roll circles over her clit. Her back arched involuntarily and she moaned loudly. He put just a bit more pressure in his movements. She thrashed her head back and forth, trying in vain to relieve the growing need she had for release.

He bent down and kissed her, slow and deliberate. And just when she was on the verge of ecstacy, he stopped. So suddenly, she nearly screamed at him in frustration.

"It's only one word."

Ann was actually on the verge of giving him what he wanted when there was a knock at the door. Joker sighed and rolled off of her. Ann groaned. "What?" she yelled at the person on the other side of the door. "Miss Annie, there's a lady here asking for you. She said it's important." Johnson said from the other side of the door. Ann rolled her eyes. "Tell her I'll be down in a minute." Ann said. She heard him walk off.

"You were going to say it." Joker stated. Ann glared at him and started mumbling nonsense under her breath as she went to the closet and found a black silk robe. She wrapped it around her body and walked to the door. "Three minutes at most." He said. Ann ignored him and slammed the door behind her. The whole way down to the reception area she mumbled to herself. Needless to say: She wasn't happy. Ann opened the doors to the reception hall and saw Ashley standing there looking worried. "Ash? What's wrong?" Ann asked. She looked up at her. "It's Michael. He took Alicia." Ann looked surprised. "He what?" Ashley swallowed. "He took her. Someone must have gotten him out of jail, because he wasn't alone. There was at least three of them. They left you a note." She said and handed Ann a folded piece of paper. It said:

Hello sugar.

Meet me at the abandoned dock yard if you want to see your friend again.

Ann was furious. She ran up to her room and threw the door open. Joker was still laying in the same position he had been in when she left. Ashley had followed her. At seeing the look on Ann's face Joker sat up. "What happened?" he asked calmly. Ann threw the piece of paper at him. "Get dressed. Were not goinna be getting much sleep tonight." She told him. He smirked "Well, I need my 'shirt' to do that." He said sarcastically. Ann gave him a snide look.

 

"Your wearing his shirt? Go gurl." Ashley commented from across the room. Joker read the note as Ann went to the closet and pulled out black pants and a black tank top. She ignored the both of them. Ann pulled her pants on under the robe then threw the robe off her. She turned to face away from Joker. She could feel his eyes on her as she pulled off his shirt and snapped on her bra. She didn't have time for modesty. Ann turned and tossed his shirt to him. She saw that he had his pants back on. Ann pulled her shirt on at the same time he did. She turned to grab her coat and realized he was digging through his bag. Ann leaned to her left to see better and he pulled out his makeup and his purple coat and green vest. Ann gaped at him as he began putting on the white make up. "Hey! I said that was off limits!" She yelled at him. Ashley had gone wide eyed on the other side of the room. "I knew it! I knew it was him!" she yelled. Joker finished his makeup and looked over at Ann. "You drag me out here in the middle of nowhere with none of my favored weapons or any of my henchmen. Then you expect me to just leave it behind in a situation like this?" he gave Ann a serious look. "Sorry, love." He said sincerely.

"Damn it all to hell and back again. Now she knows!" Ann yelled. "So what's the problem? We had agreed to tell her anyway. Besides, I can always kill her if she becomes a problem." He gave a pointed look at her. Her eyes got wide and she backed up a few steps. "I won't tell. I promise." She said. He exchanged glances with Ann then looked back at her. "Well I hope not. You know what will happen if you do." Ann told her. "And if you think I can stop him then your mistaken." He laughed and dug some weapons out of his bag while Ann put her belt on and strapped on her guns. One gun went on her back and the other went on her right leg under her pants.

Ashley stared at her as she strapped the guns on her body. "Where did you get those?" she asked. Ann nodded in Joker's direction. She looked over at Joker and he smiled at her and tossed her a pistol. She barely caught it and looked it over. "Um…." Ann rolled her eyes and walked over to her. "Look." Ann flicked a little bar on the side. "Safety on, safety off." Ann pushed a small button and pulled out the clip. "This is how you reload." she popped the clip back in. Ann pointed to the trigger. "That's how you shoot. Try not to hurt yourself, ok?" Ashley glared at her.

Joker shrugged into his coat and walked past Ashley. "Three more minutes and she would have said please. I hope your happy." He said to her then continued walking.

Ashley looked at Ann. She opened her mouth to ask a question but Ann stopped her. "Don't ask." she said and walked after Joker. Thankfully he stayed hidden while walking through the house.

After Ashley and Ann were outside he appeared out of nowhere and walked to the car. "What is he? A ghost?" She whispered to Ann. Ann ignored her and went to the driver's seat of the car. Joker stopped her. "You don't know your way." Ann told him. "I have to drive." He looked her up and down. "So where will she sit?" Ann glanced at Ashley. "In the back." Ann said. He smiled and walked around to the other side. Ashley climbed in on Ann's side and sat behind her. Luckily, Joker had taken the guitar and amp out of the car and brought it to her room.

"I'll park a ways away from the docks so they don't know were coming. You stay hidden and take them out after we approach the building." Ann told Joker. He looked at her. "No. See, I can't have my Shadow going in against armed kidnappers without me by her side. What would that do to my reputation?" He asked sarcastically. Ann glared at him as she began to drive. "What would it say about me if I had you fight all my battles for me? We're in my town in my old territory. I'm clearly in the superior status here."

His eyebrows rose. "Your getting your sources from the military?" he asked. "That's how they do things. The person with the most advantage and skill in an 'area' gets to command." Ann told him. He smiled. "Yes, I know." Ann glanced at him as he continued. "Regardless, I refuse to be left behind. I still need to make good on my threat ya know." Ann sighed. "Fine. Ashley, you skirt the outside of the main warehouse and find the back door. Enter in that way while we approach from the front. Keep yourself hidden. If at any point you see that we need help, then you better not miss." Ann told her. She nodded.

"Well that's hardly a good idea. You expect her not to miss? She didn't even know how to fire the gun." He mumbled. Ann looked back at him. "You're the one that handed a gun to a novice. If it were up to me she would be staying here." He laughed. "But you need her for the element of surprise, so even though it 'is' up to you, you cant leave her here." He cocked his head to the side and smiled at her.

"So how did you meet him? Did he kidnap you or something?" Ashley said out of nowhere. She was trying to steer the conversation in a different way. Ann rolled my eyes. "No. You think I'd get kidnapped that easy?" Ann asked. "It's not like I haven't had plenty of opportunities to do so." Joker said to her before Ashley could answer. He turned to face Ashley. "She disarmed a cop to keep me from harm." He told her and looked at Ann. Ann frowned. "Ok, so I did, but it wasn't entirely to save your life. If I had let things run their course then the cop would be dead and I 'would' have been a hostage." Ann said. He smiled. "So after you save his life you invite him back to your place for coffee?" Ashley asked sarcastically. Ann rolled her eyes. "No, he followed me around for three days, put a bullet into some dude's head and saved my life in return. Oh, and almost got me arrested." Ann glared at him. He looked at her. "How did I 'almost' get you arrested?" He asked. "Oh come on, the guy you shot the day after I met you. The one who was doing a terrible job following me." He smiled. "So I did. Well, I had lost my patience with him. He couldn't even follow a simple order."

Ashley looked back and for the between them. "Damn. Living in the city is dangerous." She said. "Only if you can't protect yourself." Joker said as he pulled out his revolver and started spinning the barrel idly. Ann was trying to figure out why Joker had 'really' decided to wear his make up. Anyone who seen him would know who he was. Suddenly it clicked. "Your going to kill them all aren't you." Ann whispered. He glanced at her. "Yes. I am."


	12. Chapter 12

Ann was trying to figure out why Joker had 'really' decided to wear his make up. Anyone who seen him would know who he was. Suddenly it clicked. "Your going to kill them all aren't you." Ann whispered. He glanced at her. "Yes. I am." He said.

* * *

 

Conversation proceeded this way for awhile. Ashley would ask a question and either Joker or Ann would answer it. Joker was making a habit of contradicting Ann at every opportunity. This lead to them arguing every time Ashley asked something. Finally she found a question that hit home with Ann. "Do you love him?" she asked her.

Ann's eyes widened. Joker slowly looked over at her and waited for her answer. "I'm not discussing that." She told both of them. Joker glanced at Ashley then back at her. "What's wrong, love?" He looked at Ann with faked seriousness. "Are you afraid to hurt my feelings?" Ashley looked back and forth between Ann and Joker. "Oh, no. Your not goinna trick me with that one again. I'm not answering 'that' question either." She told him. He looked hurt. "Awe, you think I'm trying to trick you?" Ann saw Ashley's eyes get a bit wide in the rear view mirror.

Yeah. Good job Ash. You know you fucked up. Ann thought to herself.

"Cut it out. Your scaring her." Ann told him. He looked back at her. "Then she scares far to easily." He said pointedly. He looked back at Ann. "Your avoiding the question." He told her. Ann laughed. "Well, yeah. I already said that."

An evil grin appeared on his face. "I could make you answer." He said. He suddenly flicked his wrist and pointed the gun at Ashley who sat way back in the seat. Ann rolled her eyes. "I'm not answering." She told him. "Ok, that's fine with me." He pulled the hammer back. "It's not funny." Ann told him. He looked over at her. "3, 2,-" Ann cut him off. "Wait. Wait. I don't know, ok?" "1." He said and winked at her. "Stop, Jak. I really don't know!" She yelled. "Well, were about to find out." He told her and pulled the trigger. Ann closed her eyes.

CLICK

"Bang." Joker said. Ann looked over at him. "You ass." she said. He laughed hysterically. "Oh my god. It wasn't loaded?" Ashley looked freaked the flock out. "No, Ash, it wasn't loaded. He was fucking with both of us. I suggest you get used to it."

Joker's laughter died down a bit. "The look on your faces was so 'priceless'!" He said between laughs. "I hate everything." Ann said to herself. Akirah was laughing uncontrollably in the back of her mind. "Oh, come now Shadow. I know you thought it funny. You can't hide from me." Ann smiled and lightly smacked him in the arm. "Ok, you got me." she admitted.

Ten minutes later they arrived at the dock yards. Ann parked a ways away from their final destination so that the lights or sound of the motor wouldn't give them away. They got out of the car and walked towards the main warehouse. They could see lights under the doors of the warehouse.

As soon as they got close Ashley broke off from Ann and Joker. She proceeded to walk slowly around the warehouse as Joker and Ann went to the door. Joker stepped to the side so that he wouldn't be seen when the door slid open. She gave him a quick kiss and then flung the sliding door open. He stayed where he was on the other side of the door. Ann looked in to see Alicia tied to a chair in the middle of the room. She was blind folded and gagged. Ann's anger rose when she noticed a bruise on her cheek. There was no one else in sight. Ann pulled out the gun that was strapped to her back and cautiously walked over to her. Alicia's head jerked when she heard her approach. Ann looked back to see Joker leaning around the corner watching.

Ann was about to reach for her knife and cut the ropes that were binding her when she heard the click of a gun being cocked from somewhere above her head. Ann aimed her gun to where the noise had came from. She heard clapping coming from the shadows at the edge of the room and Michael stepped in her line of sight. Ann pulled her gun's aim down to where he stood. "You move and she's dead." He informed her. Ann glared daggers of fire at him.

"How dare you touch her! I'll see you dead you insolent worm." He pulled out a gun and aimed it at her. "I'll have you tonight despite your hatred." He told her. She scoffed. "Your more of an imbecile than I originally believed if you really think your going to get out of this building alive. Even if I die in the process, I will make sure to kill you too." He laughed at her.

Ann smiled and walked toward him. "I don't think you understand me. When I say I will 'kill' you, you will end up dead." Ann saw a hint of fear cross his eyes. "Where's you precious boyfriend?" he asked mockingly. "Was he afraid to show up?" Ann smiled. Right on cue Joker stepped into the room. "I'm right here 'Michael'." He said sinisterly. Michael's eyes got wide. "Holy shit! Holy shit!" Ann heard the guy on the cat rail above them whisper something about the Joker. Ann aimed without looking and fired twice. Seconds later two guys fell to the floor. Michael was alternating between aiming at her and aiming at Joker.

She heard shuffling and realized someone was fighting in the next room over. There was a gun shot and she heard a man scream. Ann sighed. "I'll take care of it." she said and walked towards the other door. "Hey! Hey get back here!" Ann heard Michael say. She ignored him. Ann looked over her shoulder and saw that he was aiming at her. Joker stepped in front of his gun. "Keep your eyes on me, prick." Joker told him.

Ann opened the door and Ashley stumbled out. "Oh, Annie. Um, I think I might have hurt that guy." She said to Ann. Ann glanced around the corner to see a guy holding his leg. She smiled. "Yeah, I think you did." Ann told her right before she put a bullet in the man's skull. Ashley jumped and looked wide eyed. "You killed him!" She screamed at Ann. Ann looked at her. "And your point is?" she asked.

Ann pulled out her knife and handed it to Ashley. "Go cut Lesha loose." Ann told her. She glanced at Joker and Michael as Ashley walked over to Lesha. They were circling each other. Michael looked like he was going to die of fear. He still had the gun pointed at Joker, who was unarmed. "Christ, just kill him already." Ann said. Michael shot a terrified look at her then back at Joker. "Oh, no. I'm going to have fun with this one." He said to her.

Michael suddenly ran towards Ashley and Alicia. Alicia was still in the chair. He grabbed Ashley by the hair and held the gun to her head. She elbowed him in the gut. He grunted but didn't move. "Stay away or I'll shoot her." He said to Joker. Joker smiled. "You think I care why?" He asked. Michael's eyes grew wide. "She cares." He said and pointed the gun at Ann. "I'll let her go if you take her place, Ann." Ann glared at him. "Like hell." she scoffed. "I'll put a bullet in your head right now." Ann said and aimed at him. He backed up and kept Ashley between them. "You think you can shoot before me? If I die she dies." He told the room. "I'll give you five seconds to agree, then I'll blow her head off."

"You son of a bitch!" Ashley screamed at him. "Just shoot him!" She yelled. Ann was sorely tempted to oblige her. Ann's mind clicked into action and she realized she had a better chance of taking him down if she was close to him.

"Fine." Ann said. "I'll take her place." Joker looked at her strangely, like he couldn't believe what she was saying. Ann tossed Joker her gun. "Hold onto that for me. I'll get it back in a minute." Ann told him. She walked towards Michael with her hands at shoulder level and facing him. "Shadow, stop." Joker commanded from behind her. Ann hated herself for having to ignore him, but she kept walking. Ashley looked mortified that Ann was actually taking her place. "Damn it! Shoot him Jak!" She yelled across the room. Joker gave her a look that said 'shut up'.

When Ann got close enough to Michael he pushed Ashley to the side and grabbed Ann by the hair like he had done her. She didn't struggle with him. He pulled her closer to him and began walking backwards toward the door. Joker took a step forward. "None of that!" Michael yelled at him and forcefully shoved the barrel of the gun under Ann's chin. Joker stopped.

Michael whispered in her ear. "Look, your boyfriend is worried. Tell him to beg and I might let you go." Ann laughed. "Tell him yourself!" she yelled and elbowed him in the ribcage. He 'oofed' as the wind was knocked out of him and he stumbled backward. The grip he had on her hair loosened and she ducked down. There was a loud bang as the sound of a gun being fired rang through the air.

Ann whirled around to face Michael. Blood poured down his half destroyed face as he fell backwards dead. She stood from her crouched position and glanced at Joker who lowered the gun she had tossed him. He walked to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Never do that again." He told her while looking dead into her eyes. He then pulled her into a hug. She was stunned at his action.

Was he actually worried for me?

"Awe!" Ashley awed from the other side of the open area. Just then Ann heard muffled screaming. She looked over Joker's shoulder and remembered Alicia. Ann walked over to where she was bound, gagged, and blind folded. She pulled the blind fold off her and then did the same for the gag in her mouth. Her eyes lit up at seeing Ann.

"Am I glad to see you." She said. Ann grabbed her by the chin and turned her face to examine the bruise. She flinched. "It's not bad. It should heal in a few days." Ann told her. Just then her eyes went wide as she looked behind Ann to see Joker. "Oh, it's ok. That's Jak. He's not going to hurt you." Ann said. Honestly, she wasn't 'absolutely' certain of that, but it seemed to make her feel better. "Jak is the Joker?" She asked. "Bloody brilliant, isn't she?" Joker commented.

Awe shit.

"Hey! Get the fuck over it! I was just kidnapped and brought out to this God forsaken place to be beat on by a bunch of insolent ass wipes that I don't even know for a reason that I didn't even know! So 'excuse' me!" she yelled at him. "Damn. Maybe I 'should' leave you tied up." Ann said to her. Alicia had a bad temper. Joker walked over to Ann. "Have I ever told you that you have some of the strangest friends?" He said to her. She laughed. "Look who's talking." Joker handed Ann her pistol. "Don't let it go so easily next time." He told her. Ann nodded.

"Um, guys, I hate to break the mood and all, but what are we goinna do with the bodies?" Ashley asked from a few feet away. Ann turned to look around. In the corner of the warehouse she spotted some big bags of cement and on the other side of the room was a big roll of rope. She smiled.

Ten minutes later Ashley and Ann pushed Michael's body into the water outside the warehouse and watched it sink. They had used the bags of cement as a weight and tied one to each of the bodies that they needed to be rid of. What was so perfect about it was the fact that the cement would eventually set up inside the bags. The 'dearly departed' would have a permanent home at the bottom of the lake, and no one would ever know.

On the way back to the house Ann sat in Joker's lap while he drove. Ashley let Alicia ride shotgun while she sat in the back. Alicia kept glancing nervously at Joker. "You can't tell anyone Lesha. Not even Shawn." Ann told her. She frowned but nodded her head in agreement. Ann elaborated anyway. "If you do I'll go to prison too." Ann told her. Her eyes showed that she hadn't thought of that. "I won't tell. He helped you save my life. That's reason enough for me." She said.

Joker seemed pleased by her answer. Ann was too. Ashley took the opportunity to speak up. "I'm leaving Lesha. I'm moving to Gotham with Annie." Ann heard her say from behind her. Alicia looked genuinely concerned. "Your leaving? But what the hell will I do? First she disappears and now your leaving too?" Alicia said in disbelief. "Do you have a place to stay Lesha?" Ann asked her. She was hoping her question would distract her from being lonely. "I'll stay with Ashley. Shawn will be getting off work in a few hours." She told her. "Ok, we'll drop you guys off." Ann told them.

Ann sighed inwardly when they finally pulled up to the house. She was so going to crash in a matter of minutes. Then she remembered the fact that all she had to wear was Joker's shirt. Ann groaned inwardly. She wasn't looking forward to another 'incident' with him.

Ok. I'm just going to change then lie down and go to sleep. No bs this time.

**That's funny**.

Joker opened the door to the car and she felt his arm around her waist to keep her from falling. She couldn't help but think of how sweet he was being. It was a bit hard to believe that this man was the infamous Joker. The man who terrorized all of Gotham and led Batman around in circles. It was hard to believe until she thought back on watching him kill people and threaten mobsters. She hadn't had the pleasure of helping him blow something up or rob anyone yet, but she had the feeling she would get to sooner rather than later.

As Joker and Ann walked towards the house a thought came to her mind. Ann remembered how eager he looked to save her from Michael, but he stopped when Michael put the gun under her chin. This was the man that cared for nothing and no one, not even himself. But she was seriously beginning to question that fact.

Is it possible?

**Hmm? Possible? Anything is 'possible'. Especially with him.**

"Ann?" She snapped out of her thoughts. "Huh, what?" she said to him. "I asked if you were going to come inside." He informed her. Apparently she had completely spaced out and stopped 3 feet short of the open door. "Oh, yeah." she said and blinked a few times as she walked through the door. She was really starting to hate it when she did that.

When they got to the room Joker immediately crashed onto the bed. Ann almost did the same. The only thing that stopped her was the fact that she hated wearing clothes in her sleep. After a few moments he sat up and began undressing. Ann took her coat off and laid it in the chair. She did the same with her shirt. Joker gave her a surprised look then took his shirt off. Ann stood facing him and waited. He looked at her again then got up and walked in her direction.

Great.

He stopped just in front of her. "Raise you hands." He told her. She gave him a 'wtf' look. "Don't you trust me?" He asked. Ann ran her tongue along her lips and gave him a cynical look then raised her hands into the air. He slid his shirt over her hands and head. He then tugged the bottom of it down. For some ungodly reason she began to blush.

Ann turned away and pulled a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. His hand came up to her face and he forced her to look back at him. "Why didn't you listen when I told you to stop?" He asked her. She looked at him seriously. "You know why." She told him. "Elaborate." He replied.

"Your interests don't include my friends. Mine do. It's sweet that you care for me, but I'm not going to let one of my friends die because of it." She told him. She made a move to walk away but he held her there. "And you determined that you could help your friend better dead?" he asked her. "No. I realized that I had a better chance of taking him down if I was closer to him." she said.

"So by putting yourself in immediate danger you make sure everyone is happy? Even if you were to die?" He asked. Ann sighed. "Something like that." She told him and tried to walk away again. Once again he held her in place. "You would be wrong then. I wouldn't have been happy." He told her. She gave up trying to get away and leaned her head against his chest. "I'm sorry." She told him. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her. "I thought you were incapable of such words." He said. Ann shook her head. "You have it wrong. I'm incapable of nothing. I just refuse to resort to begging. If I think an apology is deserved then I'll give one." She told him.

He ran his fingers through her hair. "So what are you apologizing for?" he asked. Ann laughed quietly. "For making you worry." she said. He gripped her hair and forced her to look up at him. "Don't do it again." He said and pulled her face to him and kissed her. After a few moments he broke the kiss and walked back to the bed to take off his boots. "I'm going to take a shower." He said into the silence. "Care to join me?" he offered. Ann smiled. "Naw. I think I'll just go down to the aviary for awhile." She told him. He smiled back at her and took his pants off. She didn't look away. She just watched. Ann kept her eyes on him as he walked back towards her. As he passed by her he looked her up and down then continued to the bathroom. She watched his butt until the door closed.

Ann mentally smacked herself for ogling him and went to the closet. She hadn't mentioned what she had planned to do while he was busy. She found the bathing suit that she had left behind 8 years ago and changed into it. It still fit. The bathing suit was a simple black bikini. She smiled and put Joker's shirt back on over the bathing suit and headed for the aviary.

The aviary was basically a big glass room with countless plants and birds inside of it. The pool was on one side of the room. It was a decent size. A man made stream coursed through the aviary. There was a small waterfall in the middle of the room that connected the flow of water from a hot tub on the opposite side of the room from the pool. The whole stream was about four feet deep and a swimmer could traverse the whole thing. The pool area was nearly free of plants and had a row of sunbathing chairs and glass tables next to it along the wall. The stream and hot tub, however, were surrounded by vegetation. Ann had designed this room herself.

Despite the fact that she hated all the luxury that she had left behind years before, she had to admit that she had missed this room. It was a relaxing reprieve from the stress of the day.

Ann took Joker's shirt off and laid it on a table by the pool. She then dove in. The water was cool and soothing, just like she had always remembered. She just randomly swam around the pool for awhile. She floated on her back a lot. Ann dove down to the bottom of the pool a few times and stayed underwater for as long as she could. She liked being under water.

After awhile she decided to go up the river to relax under the waterfall. The noise of the waterfall had always helped sooth her.

After about ten minutes she heard the door to the aviary open and close. Ann smiled. He had taken a bit longer than she had thought to get done and come looking for her. She pictured him finding his shirt on the table and knowing she was in the water. He would find her sooner or later, so she let the water carry her to the pool. Ann swam into the pool and saw him notice her.

"You should come in. It's fun." She said as she looked him up and down. He was shirtless and was wearing a pair of athletic shorts. The make up was gone. "You came all the way down here with nothing but my shirt?" he asked. Ann laughed. "Yeah, and my suit." she said. "We should go to bed. It's late." He told her. It had been around 2 in the morning when she had came down here, but after she stayed up for so long she gets a boost of energy and cant sleep. "Awe, is my baby tired?" she asked in a playful tone. He smirked at her and extended his hand. "Come on, lemme help you out." He said.

Ann felt a hint of mischief over come her. She reached out to take his hand. When he grabbed it she yanked him forward. He automatically let go of her hand and tried to catch his balance. He succeeded in keeping himself from falling into the water. Ann swam to the center of the pool and turned to see him looking at her with amusement. She sighed. "I just can't seem to make myself get out. Your goinna have to come get me." she said playfully and swam in a circle.

"You think I won't?" He asked. Ann smiled. "I think you will do what ever you want to do. Or what ever I want you to do. Which is it again?" she asked. He leaned his head to the side and dove into the water. She swam away from him as he surfaced where she had been just moments before.

"Come here, love." He said to her. Ann smiled and swam backwards away from him as he came toward her. "Can't catch me." she called back to him. He caught up with her quicker than she had anticipated. He wrapped one arm around her and caressed her face with his other hand. "This is for trying to pull me in." He said and pushed her head under the water. Ann was expecting it though, so she managed to get a breath.

She let herself sink below him and grabbed him by the hips and jerked him under the water with her. She surfaced to get some air. Ann looked around but she didn't see him. She was suddenly grabbed by the ankle. She barely had enough time to get air before she was jerked under. Ann opened her eyes under the water and saw that he was right in front of her. She was about to back away when he grabbed her and kissed her under the water.

It felt weird to have his mouth on hers with water pouring in at every opportunity. He broke the kiss and they both surfaced again. "That was different." She said. She swam to the entrance to the river and followed it up to the waterfall. Joker followed her. Ann stood under the waterfall and let the water wash over her. Joker seemed amused as he walked over to her. He moved a bit slower because of the water. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her body into him. Ann rested her head against his shoulder. After a few seconds she felt his hand on her ass.

Oh, hell no.

She reached up to smack him but he caught her hand before it made it to its destination. Ann mumbled something under her breath. "What'd you say, love?" He asked. Ann said it a bit louder. "Hentai." she said and turned to face away from him. "Pervert? Did you just call me a pervert?" He asked and spun her back around. "I 'could' be a pervert if that's what you want." He said to her. Suddenly both his hands were on her ass and he squeezed and pulled her into him. Ann squirmed and tried to get away but it was no good.

I have to remember that he can speak Japanese. Damn it.

"Ya know, as far as we've gone together, I wouldn't think you'd mind me groping your ass." He said to her. Ann blushed as he released her. She backed up and pushed herself up to sit on the edge of the pool/river. He came over to her and stood between her legs.

Ann suddenly decided that she wanted to sit in the hot tub so she got up and walked towards it. Joker looked slightly annoyed that she had just walked off. He got out and followed her. The water was hot and it took her a minute to get in all the way. It didn't bother Joker in the least little bit. In fact, he kept splashing her when she was easing herself in. She sat on the opposite side of the hot tub as him.

"Come here." He said after awhile. She hesitated but pushed herself away from the wall. As she approached him he grabbed her by the waist and sat her in his lap. "So, are we goinna continue where we left off?" he asked her. "Huh?" She said.

She didn't know what he was talking about at first. Then she realized he was talking about making her say please. "Oh." Ann faked a yawn. "I'm suddenly tired." she made a move to get up and walk back to the room but he pulled her back into his lap. "I don't think so." He said in her ear.

She felt his hand slide between her thighs. "Are you horny all the time?" She asked him out of genuine curiosity. "Normally or when it comes to you?" he asked. He pulled her back against his chest with his free hand as the other one began to massage her thigh. "Me." She said as she voluntarily leaned back and rested her head on his shoulder and placed her hands on his arm that was across her chest. "Yes." He whispered in her ear. A chill went down her spine despite the temperature of the water. She felt him grind against her and desire shot through her. "I could give you such pleasure." He whispered to her.

Ann moaned. "And I could give you such 'pain'." She told him. He pushed against her harder and she gasped. Her nails dug into his arm. He smiled at her.

His hand slid up her thigh and she felt his fingers rubbing through the bathing suit. Her eyes rolled back and she turned her head to the side. His lips came in contact with hers and she got lost in him. She was no longer capable of thought. She bit his lips out of frustration. His hips ground into her as a response and she moaned into his mouth. His hand slipped under her bathing suit. Ann tore her face away from his and moaned louder as her back arched. "Just say it, love. Don't make me torture you." He told her. Ann barely made out the confident look on his face. "I won't." She managed to say. The movement of his fingers slowed to almost a stop. She almost cried. "Damn you." she said. His fingers jerked against her skin and she jerked in response. "What was that, love?" he asked sarcastically. Ann moaned when his fingers moved again. "Please damn it!" She screamed at him.

**Well, it's about time.**

He moved his hands and released her. She nearly fell over. She looked back at him. His head was leaned to the side and tilted slightly downward. He had a malicious smile on his face. "Go to your room." He told her. Her eyes grew wider and she got out of the hot tub and fled from him. She grabbed a towel on her way out the door and noticed that he was following her.

He was walking. His shoulders were tense and he still had the same look on his face. Despite the fact that she was basically running he still managed to keep up with her. She stumbled around a corner and hit a wall. He grabbed her by the arm and shoved her forward. Ann tripped and fell on the stairs that led to her room. He was right on her ass. He grabbed her by the arm again and raised her to her feet. He pushed the door open and swung her inside.

Ann stumbled and landed on her hands and knees then rolled onto her back as Joker walked in with a sadistic look on his face and kicked the door shut. She leaned up on her elbows and scooted away. He knelt down and grabbed her ankle then dragged her back to him.

Joker then climbed on top of her. His lips found hers as he wrapped her legs around his waist. She felt him raise his body using his knees then pushed against her. She could feel his erection pressing hard through the thin clothes. Ann moaned a little bit louder this time. It seemed to set him off and he ground his hips against hers again. She could feel her heart skip a beat and she gasped.

He broke the kiss and lifted her up with one hand as he pulled the top of her bathing suit off with the other. He tossed it across the room and began kissing her neck as he lowered her back to the floor. Slowly he kissed a wet trail from her neck to her breast. She realized she was breathing through her mouth as he reached up with his hand and ran his fingers through her hair. A second later she felt his lips on her breast. "Jak" she moaned.

She felt his teeth as he nipped and bit at her. He tugged at her hair and she felt a small amount of pain as he bit her again. He kissed his way down her stomach then back up to her neck. Ann took both hands and ran her fingers through his hair. She grabbed a hand full and made him look at her.

She kissed him and ran her tongue against his lips. He opened his mouth and she rubbed her tongue against his. He took control again and deepened the kiss as Ann felt his hips grinding against hers. He grabbed her hair and tipped her head back as his free hand slid the rest of her suit down her thighs. He broke the kiss and went back to Ann's breast.

He kissed his way from her breast down her stomach then stopped just before he hit the sweet spot. Somehow, she realized, he had pulled the bottom of her bathing suit off. She hadn't even noticed.

 

He slowly looked up at her and gave her an evil smile. Ann realized that she had been holding her breath. He took her clit into his mouth, rubbing and flicking his tongue against it.

Ann gasped at the sensation of his hot mouth on her and she dug her fingernails into the carpet. He rubbed his fingers at her already slick folds before gently pushing one inside her. The feeling was so foreign to her, she arched her back moaning his name.

She felt his teeth on her sensitive skin and she stiffened. But he only bit down hard enough for her to barely feel it. She closed her eyes, straining against the ecstacy building inside her. It was almost painful. She needed release. "Don't stop Joker. Please." She moaned. His eyes lit up at her pleading.

His mouth was suddenly gone from her. She jerked from surprise and looked to see why he had stopped when she had been pleading for him not to. His mouth was on hers before she could register what happened. Their tongues locked and danced and she could taste herself in the kiss. He had two fingers inside her now. They curled and rubbed inside her. She gasped, digging her nails into his shoulders and breaking the bitter sweet kiss. She was close to losing herself.

He rested his forehead on hers, she felt his fingers start to rub at her clit. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she gasped from the pleasure. Ann's hips bucked and she unwillingly tried to twist her body away from him but he held her in place. It was getting harder for Ann to think as the pleasure intensified. She moaned louder and arched her back as he took her clit between his thumb and forefinger then rubbed back and forth. "Shit, Jak!" Ann moaned desperately.

She moaned into his mouth as she felt his fingers slip inside her and curve as he moved them in and out. His thumb took their place. Ann broke the kiss gasping from the pleasure and tried to roll away from him again. He didn't let her and she felt his fingers rub something sensitive inside her. She almost screamed but managed to control herself. It felt like something inside her was about to break as she moaned uncontrollably and she began breathing really heavy and eratic. Ann's eyes closed and she arched her back.

"Give in to it Shadow. Let it take you." He whispered. Without warning, he bit into her neck hard. That was all it took. She screamed as the pain pushed her over the edge and her body shook.

She was holding so tightly to him, she wasn't sure if the heavens themselves could pull them apart. Her body spasmed and convulsed several more times as the pure euphoria coursed through her.

Joker stood and picked her up then threw her onto the bed. Her fingers were red with his blood. Red rivlets streamed down his shoulders and onto his arms. She leaned up on her elbows as she watched him take his shorts off. Her damp hair stuck to her face from the thin sheen of sweat all over her body. She scooted back on the bed. His eyes looked heavy and dark. He grabbed her behind her knees. "I don't think so." he growled then pulled her back to him.

He reached up with his right hand and brushed her hair out of her face then placed his had on her shoulder. He looked hungry. Then she realized he wasn't finished with her.

"Again?" She said in disbelief."Yes, again." He said as he started to climb onto the bed. "No, No I cant. I cant do that again." She started to scoot away from him but her body was exhausted and she couldn't move very fast. "You can and you will." Joker told her as he grabbed her by the waist.

He climbed back on top of her and kissed her fiercely while he pulled his boxers off. His hand started rubbing her breast as she felt his cock press against her opening. Ann's heart beat sped up and she broke the kiss. He ran his fingers through her hair and rested his hand on the side of her head. Ann felt his cock begin to slowly slide inside her. Her breathing got a bit heavier as she felt her skin begin to expand. He slowly pushed his way deeper and she felt a little bit of pain. She put her hands on his shoulders and squeezed. The pain wasn't that bad.

Was that it?

Ann opened her eyes and looked up at Joker but he wasn't looking at her. He had his face turned away and his eyes were closed. He had a pained expression. She realize he was holding himself back from just plunging inside her. "This is where it starts hurting." He said to her. Then he pushed farther. She suddenly felt an enormous amount of pain as flesh tore and she dug her nails into the skin on his back. She gasped as he went deeper and she buried her face in his neck.

She vaguely felt him kiss her on the side of her head. Then he stopped moving. She caught her breath after a few moments. "The worst parts over." She heard him say. He kissed her sweetly and she felt his cock start to pull out. It got almost all the way out and he pushed back in. Each time he got a little faster. It didn't hurt anymore and she started to feel pleasure again. She moaned quietly. He took the hint and shoved his cock back inside her. Ann dug her nails into him again then dragged them across his back. He grunted and arched his back slightly. He bit her lip and she tasted the copper tang of blood in her mouth as he thrusted inside her again. She arched her back and pushed against him. "Jak." She moaned desperately. He thrusted inside her again and again.

Each time he thrusted she rocked her hips forward. At every move she felt more and more pleasure. She started to scream his name. He grabbed a hand full of her hair and pulled. She called out his name as she felt the ecstasy of release. He grunted as he thrusted inside her a final time then collapsed on top of her.

They were both breathing hard and her eyes felt heavy. There was a thin sheet of sweat covering them both. After a few minutes he pushed himself up and rolled off of her. Ann looked over at him and saw that he was staring at her so she smiled. He pulled her closer to him and she rested her head on his shoulder. He pulled the covers over them. She was barely conscious as she curled up next to him and clung to his naked body. She was completely exhausted. He ran his fingers through her hair as he reached down and kissed her. "Night Jak." She mumbled as she felt herself fall deeper into darkness. Just before she passed out she heard him say. "Good night, my Shadow.."


	13. Chapter 13

"Good night, my Shadow."

* * *

 

His words echoed in her head as she groggily opened her eyes. The light through the window hurt her eyes. She groaned and rolled over. After her eyes adjusted to the light a bit more she realized she was in bed alone. Ann sat up and looked around. She found Joker at the open window by the bed. He was staring out into oblivion. He had found a pair of dry boxers but other than that he was still undressed. He looked over at her. "Morning." She said to him. He smirked. "Did you sleep well?" He asked her.

**Yes, Shadow. How did you sleep**?

She ignored Akirah's sarcasm. "You might say that." She told him. Ann noticed his eyes on her bare chest. Her face turned a bit red, but other than that it didn't bother her. He 'had' ravaged her last night, after all. Her hand twitched slightly at the thought of him consuming her. She pushed the thoughts from her mind and got out of bed.

She walked the two paces to the window where he stood and wrapped her arms around his waist. He hummed contently and turned around to face her. Just then the door to her room came open and Ashley walked in the room. Both Ann's eyes and Ashley's got really wide and they both yelled 'shit' at the same time. Ann ducked behind Joker and Ashley whirled around while muttering apologies. Joker was laughing his ass off.

Ann grabbed a shirt from her bags and found her panties and a pair of pants then quickly got dressed. "God! Doesn't anyone knock anymore?" Ann yelled. "Tell me you didn't have sex with him." Ashley said from the door way. "Yes, he took my virginity. Big deal." Ann replied. She turned and looked at Ann surprised. "I didn't know you were a virgin." She said. Ann heard Joker laugh again from behind her. "I did." He said to both of them. Ashley walked over to Ann. "So how was it?" She asked her.

Ann rolled her eyes when she heard Joker snicker. "Did you need something?" Ann asked her. "Michael's brother is asking questions." She told her. Ann sighed. "It's not a problem. We'll be long gone by the time anyone even gets close to figuring out what happened." Ann told her. "No, the cops aren't the problem. He won't go to them." She explained. "He knew what Michael was doing last night." Ann thought for a moment.

"Did he know about the warehouse?" Joker asked after a few seconds. He had gone back to staring out the window. Ann had just thought the same thing. "I don't think so, but he definitely knew that you and Ann were involved. He's trying to find you. He's hell bent on blood." She said. "Tell me about Michael's brother." Ann said. "Do you know anything about him?" She thought for a minute.

"He was in the Army. He runs a drug ring around the area. It goes about two counties across. No one is talking to him though. Everyone remembers 'your' reputation." She told Ann. Ann smiled "Well, being a bad ass 'does' have its perks." She said. "Looks like were goinna be leaving a bit early. Tomorrow after the ball?" Ann looked at Joker. He nodded. Ashley looked back and forth between them. "What ball?" She asked. Ann smiled. "Oh, just a little thing I worked out to get back at my grandmother." Joker looked over his shoulder at her. "Not to mention that you get a chance to dance with me." He smirked at her. Ann smiled back at him. "Do you need to practice? I could teach you if you want." She told him. He laughed. "I'll let you decide tomorrow if I need 'practice'." He replied.

Does that mean he's a good dancer?

**Probably. You never know with him.**

"I'm going to visit my father." She told him. "That was the reason I came here, after all." He nodded and got dressed. Ashley said that she wanted to go with them. She said she hadn't got to see him much since Ann left. So the three of them went to visit Ann's father.

As Ann walked down the hallway that led to her father's room Joker kept stepping on her heels and snickering. Ashley had thought it funny as well. Ann ignored them both. Finally, after he nearly made her trip, she whirled around. "You have a problem, Jak?" Ann asked in an annoyed tone. Ann could tell he was trying very hard to keep from smiling or laughing. Ashley had a blank expression on her face. Ann glared over Joker's shoulder at her and she turned a bit white. "Your not helping. Don't give him incentive." Ann told her.

Joker hung his arm over Ann's shoulder. "Oh, don't listen to her. Incentive is a 'good' thing." He said in an amused tone. Ann rolled her eyes and began walking again. After a few moments Ann felt more than heard something coming for her legs. She jumped on instinct and found that Joker had tried to sweep kick her so she would fall. As she landed she brought her foot up for a kick to his face. Surprisingly, he caught her leg in his hand before her attack could connect. "She is hard to catch off guard, isn't she?" He said to Ashley. Ann jerked her foot away from him. "You better not try this shit when were with my father." Ann told him. She could see he was sorely tempted to do so just because Ann had told him not to. He was in a restless mood. The sooner they got out of there the better. He didn't like having to restrain himself, and he was fucking with Ann to ignore his frustration. She turned around and began walking again.

Several minutes later Ann found herself standing outside her father's door. She stood there a moment. She wasn't exactly sure how to go about this. She was finding it difficult to take a step forward and open the door. Ann heard Joker fake a cough behind her. She shot a glare over her shoulder and opened the door.

Ann's father was sitting up in bed reading the paper. "Stocks are closed tomorrow. You making sure everything's in order?" Ann asked as she walked towards him. He looked up at her over the paper. "I heard you were in town. Come here, let me look at you" He said to her. His normally strong voice sounded strained and rough.

 

Ann walked closer to the bed. "Ah. You've advanced in your martial arts. You look as beautiful as ever, darling." They both smiled as Ann bent down and hugged him. Ann saw him look over her shoulder. "Is that Ashley?" he asked. Ash stepped forward. "Hi Mr. Giovanni. How are you feeling today?" She asked. He laughed. "Well, I'd be better if you called me Marv like I've told you countless times." She smiled back at him. Ann glanced over her shoulder to find Joker. She saw him standing in the door way. "Daddy, this is my boyfriend Jak." Ann said and motioned at Joker to come closer.

As he took a few steps hesitantly before Ann noticed a trace of recognition flash across her father's face. It was gone just as quickly as it had appeared as he shook his head, apparently dismissing whatever thought had crossed his mind. Joker took a few more hesitant steps before he snapped back into his normal public charm. "Nice to meet you Mr. Giovanni. You've raised a wonderful daughter." He said and extended his hand. Ann's father shook his hand but before Joker could pull away her father pulled him closer. "You. I know you." Her father said to him. Joker tensed up and pulled away. Ann was confused. He didn't usually talk to people like that.

"I know that look in your eyes. I know it well." Joker didn't show any confusion. Instead he held a look of distance and respect. He looked at Ann's father more seriously. Her father looked at him a moment longer. "I never thought I'd see those eyes ever again." He looked at Ann after a moment. "You've got yourself a good man, despite appearances. And I think you know what I mean." Ann knew he could see the confused look in her eyes as she exchanged glances with Joker, who had found himself a corner to lean in across the room.

After the unexpected moment the conversation proceeded normally. Neither her father nor Joker said a word to each other the whole time they were there. Joker, in fact, said nothing at all. He just stood in the corner of the room and listened. Every so often Ann would catch the gleam of his eyes from the darkness of the corner.

Johnson brought a tray of food in for her father's lunch and Ann decided to let him eat in private. "I'm leaving tomorrow after the ball. There are things I need to attend to that have kept me busy." Ann told her father. He smiled at her. "So long as your with him," he nodded towards Joker. "you'll always be busy. But you'll be happy just the same." He told her. Ann looked over at Joker who smiled at her. She just smiled back. "I'll come back and see you before we leave." She told him. He smiled at her as she began walking to the door. Ann happen to glance back over her shoulder and saw Joker standing at the foot of the bed. Ann caught a slight look of remorse from him as he nodded his head towards her father who gave him the same in return.

Joker then smoothly turned without a word and walked out of the room. Ann heard Ashley ask him what all that was about while we were walking back down the hall. He ignored her. He was completely silent. No cocky comment, no stepping on Ann's feet, no attempts to knock her over, not even a joke to lighten the mood. He remained silent until Ashley left to prepare for the party. Ann sat on the bed in silence and Joker stood at the window. She was dying to know what had happened between them back in the room, but she remained quiet.

After around half an hour of silence she couldn't stand it anymore and asked. Joker glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. "I can't tell you. It's not my story to tell." After a minute or two went by Ann stood and walked to the window where he stood. She ducked under his arm and leaned back against the edge of the open window. She showed her worry for him. He'd never been this quiet before. He tilted his head to the side and starred at her. After a minute he moved closer and kissed her. It felt emotional, like he had really needed a kiss from her. They had just broken apart from the kiss when there was a knock at the door.

Johnson opened the door slowly. "Miss Ann. Dinner will be served shortly. Should I set a place for the two of you?" he asked from the door way. Ann looked back at Joker. "You hungry?" she asked him. He smiled slightly at her and nodded. "We'll be down in a few minutes." she told Johnson without looking away from Joker. Johnson nodded and closed the door. Ann rested her hands on Joker's shoulders and slowly slid them down his chest. He looked down at her hands then back up at her. Ann grabbed the edge of his coat and slowly pulled him forward. She then rested her head on his chest. A content feeling washed over her when he gave a slightly frustrated but content sigh and wrapped his arms around her. "Let's eat." He said. Ann smiled and nuzzled against his chest. "Ok." She replied.

We'll, At least he's talking now.

They walked to the main dining room. They opened the doors and walked in unison to the table. Ann frowned when she saw Janice and Linda, her grandmother's friends, sitting at the table. Needless to say, she didn't much care for them. Also at the table was Chamberlin, Ann didn't like him either. He was her age. Her grandmother had made countless attempts to throw her at him when she was younger. He had always made it obvious that he was interested in her. They were making conversation about something that sounded irrelevant.

The conversation stopped when the pair approached the table. Conveniently, the only chairs open were next to Chamberlin. Ann prayed Joker seated her away from him. It didn't happen. Joker stepped in front of her and pulled out her chair for her. She smiled at him and sat down. He then proceeded to sit in the chair next to her. "Very nice pet you have there, Ann." Chamberlin said to her not moments after Joker had sat down. He was obviously jealous. Joker slowly looked across Ann to him. "Why don't you come find me after dinner? I'll show you what it means to be a 'pet'. Maybe I'll train you to fetch my beer for me." Ann sneered at him. She heard Joker snicker next to her. Chamberlin frowned and sipped at his wine glass. "Now, Annie. Be nice to our guest." Her grandmother chided from across the table. Ann wrinkled her nose at her.

"Dinner is served." Johnson said from across the room and several people carrying plates of food came in and sat them before the lot of them. Johnson brought wine glasses to Joker and Ann. He filled them with champagne and left. The food was steak with sautéed mushrooms and potatoes. It was one of Ann's favorite things to eat. She silently thanked Johnson for making her favorite and not some horribly unappetizing thing that her grandmother enjoyed.

There were a few minutes of silence as everyone began to eat. Ann was pissed. Her grandmother had only brought Chamberlin here for one reason. She was trying to make Joker look bad and hoping to shove Ann at him again. Good thing that Chamberlin wasn't all that smart. He had seriously pissed Ann off with the 'pet' comment. By the looks of it, Joker was pissed about it too. If Chamberlin kept it up he was going to have a serious problem on his hands, and Ann would be the one that would have to clean up the mess. After another minute or two went by Joker nudged her in the arm. She looked over at him. He had a piece of steak on his fork and he pointed it at her. She smiled. She knew what he was doing. Ann leaned over and accepted the piece of meat off his fork. Her grandmother nearly died. Ann noticed that Chamberlin looked mortified. He was glaring at Joker.

Ann cut off a piece of her steak and fed it to Joker like he had her. They ate their entire meal in this fashion. Everyone had long been ignoring them by the time they were finished. Ann's grandmother looked sullen and Chamberlin was pissed. When they were finished they excused themselves and began to walk toward the door. "Ann, I'll see you tomorrow at the ball?" Chamberlin called after her.

"Oh, yes. We'll be there." She yelled back to him as she opened the door. As the door closed behind them she looked back to see Chamberlin with the most profound look of disappointment on his face. As soon as the door closed Joker and Ann both burst out in laughter. Ann ended up leaning against the wall and Joker was bent over holding his side, by the time they were able to stop laughing. He held out his hand and Ann happily accepted it. After they had taken a few steps he said "You know they could hear us laughing." Ann smiled. "Definitely." She told him. They both laughed again.


	14. Chapter 14

He held out his hand and Ann happily accepted it. After they had taken a few steps he said "You know they could hear us laughing." Ann smiled. "Definitely." She told him. They both laughed again.

* * *

 

When they were almost back to the room his phone rang. He opened the door for her as he answered it. Ann gave him some privacy. If he was on the phone then it was business. He went to the window. After a few minutes of him mumbling orders and glancing at Ann over his shoulder he hung up the phone and slipped it back in his pocket.

"Something wrong?" Ann asked him. He looked at her. She saw a hint of worry flash behind his eyes just before his face went back to his unreadable mask. "What is it?" She asked a bit more quietly. "Your mobster friend had a brother." He told her. Ann's mind flashed back to the skinny pig faced mobster that she had ruthlessly killed for suggesting that she was property.

Ann sighed. "Seems like everyone I kill has a friggin brother." She mumbled to herself. "My sources say he has an asset working against you. I don't know what though. It could be anything from your address to your plate numbers." He told her. Ann clicked her tongue and smiled. "I doubt they want to come to me. If their smart then they'll try and force me to go to them. That would give them the advantage."

Ann was thinking out loud. Joker smirked. "And what do we do with our weaknesses?" He asked. "Turn it to strength." Ann said and walked over to the window next to him. "And the enemy's strength?" He asked after only a moment. Shee sat in the window sill. "Make it our own." She replied. He nodded approvingly.

The next five hours were spent watching tv in her room and talking about random subjects. At one point the conversation went from tacos to swords to favored fighting techniques to sex to types of knives and back to fast food. It was a very random conversation, but it was interesting just the same. Just about anything involving him was interesting.

Several times Ann thought about how the mob would try to bring her to them, but Joker kept interrupting her thoughts. Most of the stuff he said was hilarious. They were laughing almost constantly. Every time she looked at him she found herself recalling the events of the night before. Every time they touched, even innocently, she felt the passion reignite in her lower stomach. Ann continued trying to push the thoughts away, but they always returned. Several times she caught him looking at her like he knew what he was doing to her. It was like he knew that she was wanting more of him at every turn.

Around 6:15 that afternoon Ann decided it was time to head out, so she called Ashley to find out where they were meeting. They were going to do a massive car drag right through the middle of Tulsa. They used to do it for fun when she was younger. It drove the cops mad. What's better is they couldn't do anything about it. Sure they could pull a car or two over but they'd just end up back on the street again. And with the number of people that would be involved, there's no way they could get all of them.

Ashley told Ann she had the meeting place set up at the parking lot of the Woodland Hills mall at 71st and Memorial. She also reported that Ann's Camaro was to be the flag car. That's the one in front.

Joker and Ann left for the mall in Tulsa. The ride up there was strenuous to say the least. Joker had definitely picked up on her constant flash backs to the night before. She knew this when he slowly ran the back of his knuckles up her wrist. The feel of his bare skin against hers was euphoric. Her mind lapsed as an image of them both naked in her bed flashed behind her eyes. Ann pictured him pulling her head back by her hair. She snapped herself out of it by shaking her head and pushed the thoughts away for the millionth time that day.

Ann made herself focus on the road. Joker continued to antagonize her. He'd barely brush his hand against hers or stare at her suggestively. Each and every time he got some kind of physical response from her. By the time they actually made it to Tulsa she was ready to jump out of the moving car.

This is not good. If he views my attraction to him as a weakness…

**Which he does.**

…then he could use it against me.

**Which he will.**

Ann had already basically proven this was right by caving in to her desires the night before. She was going to have to deal with this eventually, but now wasn't the time. Ann resolved to try and keep her attraction for him as hidden as possible. She knew she was stronger than this. She wasn't about to let him beat her in a game of wits just because he had the advantage sexually. A thought popped into her head. If she could somehow even the score and make him crave her just as much as she was craving him then they would be on an even playing field again.

No, that's not completely right. I already know he's attracted to me.

All Ann had to do is find a way to take advantage of it. Do to him what he's doing to her. That made it easier.

Joker was still trying to unnerve her but he was finding it more difficult. Ann was still having the thoughts and flashbacks, but she was forcing herself to not outwardly show it. She could tell he was getting a bit frustrated. He was going to be even more frustrated when she started playing his game the way he was playing it.

A game like this is a lot like chess. He makes a move and she makes a move. If your a strategist then you know that in order to win you have to be an offensive and defensive player. You can't be just one or the other. If you use both in the right amount of moderation then you can work your way to the perfect spot. Going on an offensive streak will force the opponent to play the defense. If you can keep them on the defensive then you pretty much have them beat. But you have to know how to defend yourself if they try to attack. In this game, Ann's defense was to be completely unfazed and her offense was to try to unnerve 'him'.

Being good at chess had its benefits in situations like this. Ann knew the perfect strategy that just might work. She used to use it in chess all the time. She keep herself on the defensive for a decent amount of time and when their not expecting it she would move in and strike with a strong offensive. Usually in the process of her defense she would sacrifice a few pieces that weren't important to her to make the opponent think they were in control. This is what she had planned to do to Joker, in a sense. She was going to keep playing the defensive and not make a move. She'd let a few reactions slip through, but only a few. Just keep him strung along until he either lowers his defenses a bit or gets completely annoyed at not getting an effect from her. Then she'd feed him his own medicine.

This is a good plan.

**He's having an effect on you.**

Not anymore. I'm leading him along, remember?

**No, I mean an effect on your logic. Him pushing you mentally is making you stronger.**

You think that's what he's going for?

**Possibly?**

God, you are no help at all. All you do is add more to my plate.

**Finish your supper, dear.** She mocked.

Ann mentally threw her hands up in annoyance and sent Akira an image of Ann flipping her off.

Silence…..

Ann realized that it had been awhile since Joker had made an attack on her. She glanced over at him. Ann barely had enough time to keep herself from gawking. His hand was next to her face and his fingers were idly playing with her hair. He was leaned sideways against the seat staring at her. He was watching her. Trying to gauge her reaction. Ann looked down at his hand then smoothly turned her attention back to the road.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him smirk slightly. She was furious with herself. She had been so lost in thought about how to defeat him that she didn't even notice his friggin hand moving right next to her face! She hated it when she missed small things like that. Ann silently mused about being her own worst enemy like she had several days before.

He was right. I do think too much.

**You never had a problem with it before.**

I never had someone avidly pointing it out to me before!

**He brings out the best in you**.

Best or worst?

**Either/or. It's the same thing in my opinion.**

Ann smiled. That comment made her feel a bit better.

They finally made it to the mall. Joker's hand was still playing with her hair. It really didn't bother her as much as he would have liked. There was already about a dozen cars parked at the designated spot in the mall's parking lot. Ann saw Ashley's truck and Alicia's silver '98 mustang among them. She was assuming that they were going to be her 'wing women'. There was loud music coming from several of the vehicles. Ann pulled up next to Alicia's mustang and killed the engine. Ashley and Alicia walked up to her window.

"Your goinna take your run down truck on a strip drag?" Ann asked her. She scoffed at Ann. "Hell no. Josh over there was nice enough to let me drive his car." She pointed to a guy wearing baggy jeans and a muscle shirt who was leaning on the hood of a Ford Focus that had obviously been tricked out for racing. The Focus had a neat black and green paint job. Ann noticed that there were racing seats in the car and it had the racing seat belts that buckled across the chest instead of over the shoulder. Ann had thought of putting that type of belt in her Camaro, but ultimately decided against it. She never wore the damn thing anyways.

Alicia shot a weird look at Joker's hand by Ann's face. Ann vaguely realized that he was still playing with her hair and ignoring everything but her. At seeing Alicia's look Ashley leaned to the side to catch what she was starring at. She then proceeded to roll her eyes. "Oh, ignore that. He's probably just thinking of her naked or something." Ashley said as she fanned her hand. Ann glared at her as Alicia stuttered something about going to find Shawn and hurriedly walked off. Ann was slightly surprised that Joker hadn't laughed at Ashley's comment of her being naked in his eyes.

* * *

 

They waited another few hours in the parking lot. More people showed up minute my minute. And, minute by minute, Ann could sense Joker getting restless. It didn't seem like he liked staying out in the open for very long. Ann was guessing that it came from being a constant outlaw. She hadn't told him or anyone else yet, but she had a plan that might make him feel better. This night was for him after all. It didn't seem right that he was having a bad time. She had planned to let him drive her Camaro on the drag. Since her car was the flag car, he would get to choose where to take the whole pack. Because he didn't know the area very well Ann could make sure he didn't head into an area that they didn't want to be in.

She had been pondering about this for the last ten minutes while lying on the hood of her car. Joker had been sitting in the passenger seat. After awhile he got out and joined her on the hood of the car.

"Ya know, I can see right down your shirt from in there." He told her. Ann felt her face flush slightly. "So, that's why you haven't moved in awhile." Ann stated blankly and closed her eyes. She could almost feel his eyes roving over her. "You seem lost in thought." He commented. Ann felt the back of his hand caress the side of her face. She turned her head so that it made more contact with his hand. She hadn't meant to do it, but it felt good. "Feeling affectionate?" She heard him ask in a darkly seductive voice. "It was an accident." She told him. He laughed slightly. "So your 'accidently' being affectionate towards me?" It didn't quite seem like a serious question. It was more of a slight curiosity that was flanked by amusement and mockery. Ann frowned. She hated it when someone twisted her words. "No." She told him simply.

**Accidently in love….**. Akirah sang inside my head.

I hate you.

**You 'love' him**. She mocked.

I do not.

**Ok. You keep telling yourself that.**

"I have a surprise for you." Ann said out of nowhere. She was inwardly hoping that his curiosity would help him forget about the 'affectionate' thing. She cracked her eye open to look at him. He looked genuinely curious. She smiled inwardly.

Bingo.

"A surprise for me? What could be better than the surprise you gave me last night?" He asked as Ann opened her eyes. She came dangerously close to flinching at his comment. He slid off the hood of the car and stood in front of her. Ann watched him closely. He was about to do something. It was probably going to be something that would embarrass her in some way or another.

He crossed his arms over his chest and scanned her up and down. "Sorry, love." He said smoothly just before he quickly grabbed her ankles and yanked her towards him. Her eyes got wide at her sudden flight forward. She managed to get her feet under her before she crashed to the ground. Ann wound up leaning against the front of her car with Joker standing between her legs. She glared at him. "What the hell was that for?" She asked in an irritated voice. "You just looked way too comfortable." He told her. Ann was about to say something irate, but he stepped forward. "Now…" He snaked his arm around her waist and she felt his midsection brush against hers as he leaned into her. "… would my surprise involve a position similar to this?" He whispered to her.

Ann's heart was beating faster than normal but she wasn't about to give in to temptation. Maybe a different kind of temptation. "No. You're facing the wrong way." Ann said sarcastically. His eyebrows rose. "Me? I think you have the roles reversed, love." He said and then grabbed her by the shoulder. He jerked in a smooth motion which spun her around and he then pushed on her back to make her fall forward. Ann caught herself by slamming her hands onto the hood of her car.

Ann pushed herself to a more upright position but froze when she felt his hands on her hips. "There. That's better. Isn't it?" He said in a satisfied tone of voice. Ann felt her muscles and joints go stiff as he slowly squeezed. Her back was trying to arch and she had the horrible desire to push her butt back against him. She was having a significant amount of trouble trying to control her body. Ann jerked when he brought his lips to the side of her neck. "Why are you fighting it?" he whispered to her. Ann closed her eyes.

**So much for your offensive. You melt at his every touch.**

Ann knew she was right. She had to control herself. She slipped her hand in her coat pocket and pulled out her keys. Ann let them drop to the ground in front of her. "Oops." She exclaimed innocently and bent over to pick them up. She made sure to grind against him hard as she bent over. She almost lost it when she felt his grip on her hips tighten, but she kept her body and emotions under control. As she stood back up she smoothly stepped to the side and turned in half a circle. Ann smiled at him sweetly and dangled the keys in front of her. She then turned around and walked away. Before she turned around she noticed the pained expression on his face.

That got him.

Ann walked over to Ashley, who was leaning on the green Ford Focus and chatting it up with Josh. Joker's footsteps behind her told her he was following. Ann stood next to Ashley and waited for her to finish her talk with Josh. "I'm sick of waiting around here. We ready to move yet?" Ann asked when there was a lull in the conversation. Joker had walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist while she was waiting. Ashley looked around at the nearly full parking lot. "Yep, I think we have enough people." She mused.

Well I hope so. Any more people show up and we'll be entertaining half the friggin city.

"You want me to announce it?" She asked. Ann smiled. "No, I think I will." Ann told her. She looked confused. Ann didn't normally do this. She tore myself away from Joker's arms and climbed on top of a car. She whistled really loud and the music stopped. Ann had everyone's attention, including Joker's, who was giving her a sarcastic look. She ignored him.

"You ready to have a good time?" She yelled out at the people. There were cheers and screams. "My name is Shadow and I own that beautiful Camaro over there that you'll be following." More cheers and screams, but they were louder this time. "However, I will not be driving." Ann told them. There was silence as confusion spread a bit. Ann looked down at Joker, who had one of his eyebrows raised and he was looking at her like 'seriously?'. She smiled at him. "Your driver today will be the wonderful Jak. I'm sure some of you recognize him from yesterday, if not then you missed one helleva party." Everyone that actually knew what she was talking about cheered which brought about cheers from everyone else. Ann looked down to see Joker giving her a surprised look.

She held out her hand, intent on helping him onto the car. He took her hand and jumped up onto the car with her. The cheering continued and Joker bowed sarcastically as Ann jumped off the hood of the car. "There will be an after party later, so if you've got a full tank then you should have no problems following us out there." Ashley called out over everyone. More cheering ensued as Joker jumped off the car and the two of them walked back to the Camaro as people began starting up their cars. Ashley tossed ann a hand held cb and told her what channel they were set up for.

"Where do I go?" Joker asked Ann after they were back in her car. She smiled. "Where ever you want." Ann told him. He looked over at her. "Do I have to drive nice?" He asked and started the engine. Ann laughed. "Drive however you want. Just don't screw up my car." She said. He smiled. "However I want. 'Okay'." He said. He burnt rubber and spun the car in a donut then took off towards 71st. Alicia and Ashley followed close behind them. Everyone else was following behind them.

"Nice surprise." Joker said as he slid sideways out onto 71st street. The people behind them did the same. "Where we headed?" Ashley called through the cb. "I honestly don't know. I'm not driving, remember?" Ann told her. "Just make sure he doesn't get us lost." Alicia said back to Ann. Ann was about to say something sarcastic but Joker grabbed the cb from her. "You think I don't know where I'm going?" Joker asked her. The other end was silent. Ann suddenly remembered the last time they were in Tulsa. He never asked her how to get where they were going. He had already known somehow. Ann slowly turned to look at him.

He's been here before!

**So? He never said he hadn't.**

He never said he had either!

**And he would say 'you never asked'.**

Ann decided not to say anything about it now. She mainly decided this because they happen to speed by a pair of cop cars that were parked next to each other in a parking lot. Ann grabbed the cb from Joker as Ashley came over it. "Their goinna chase us and probably bring more cops to help." She said. "Their priority will be the three lead cars. So long as we keep them behind us then we'll have no problems." Ann told her. Alicia spoke up. "That puts almost everything on you and 'Jak'." Alicia said. "If you guys get taken out then everyone else will too." Ann ignored her sarcasm towards Joker, who chose that moment to slide around a corner.

Ann realized that if he hadn't of turned then they would have slammed head on into about 15 cop cars. She hadn't really been paying attention to where they were headed since she had figured out that Joker knew the area. "Hey, does he know where he's going?" Ashley asked over the cb. Ann sat up and looked around. The road he was on lead up into North Tulsa. "Woah. Where you going? That's the last place we wanna go." She told him. He ignored her comment. Ann was about to insist that he fill her in when he tossed her his cell phone. "Call the 28th number in the memory. Tell the guy that answers that I need a take out on 41st and Mingo." Ann looked down at his phone then back at him. "You better hurry. I'd say we have five minutes." He told her.

Ann scrolled through the phones memory. None of the numbers had any names. She counted to the 28th number and hit the dial button. After three rings someone answered. Ann repeated the message that Joker had given her. "How the hell'd you get this number?" the guy asked. He sounded mad. Joker grabbed the phone from her. "Cant you just follow the damn instructions?" He growled into the phone. The guy on the other end sounded mortified. "J? Is that really you?" The guy asked. "Leave the 'hello how are you's' for later damn it. I got close to twenty cops on my ass and I want them gone." Joker said to the man on the other end. "Oh, and only cops. No one else." He said and handed the phone back to Ann. She looked down at the phone then slowly brought it back up to her ear. The guy on the other end was screaming orders at people. "What are you driving?" He asked after a moment. "Um, 69 Camaro. I think you'll know us when you see us." Ann told him. She heard him laugh. "I'd be surprised if I 'didn't' notice you." He said. Ann wasn't exactly sure what he had meant.

The guy told her it would be about ten minutes before he could get organized and be at the meeting spot. Ann said ok and hung up. "Now, what the hell?" Ann asked Joker. They hit a bump and Ann's head hit the top of the car. She rubbed the top of her head and glared over at him. "Oh, watch out." He said with a smirk. "Anyone wanna tell me what the hells going on?" Ashley yelled over the cb. Ann assumed she had hit her head also, and was annoyed as Ann was. "Like I said before, I don't know." Ann said slowly and glared at Joker again. "I have a slight feeling that our cop problem is about to go away." Ann told her. Joker smiled smugly. "Oh, he said ten minutes." Ann told Joker. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "That's fine." He said. "I'll just have to go on a detour." He suddenly slid around a corner.

"Tell them all to get in single file." He told Ann after he made sure everyone had taken the corner. Ann repeated the command over the cb. She leaned out the window and sat on the edge of it. Ann saw Shawn and Josh do the same and they all motioned for everyone to get in one lane.

Ashley and Alicia swerved over behind them and everyone else did the same. Ann climbed back into the car. "Why single file?" She asked. "Well, love, were going to be going through a few tight places." He said and looked over at her. They hit another bump and Ann flew up from her seat again. She managed to keep from hitting her head this time though.

She looked out of the window to see where they were. In front of them was a gate that had been chained together. It was about a block away. "Watch out." Ann said and pointed ahead of them. He smiled. "You might want to hold on." He told her. Ann clicked her tongue and closed her eyes. "Your paying for the damages." She told him. "But of course." He replied. Ann opened her eyes and looked at him as her car broke through the gate. Behind the gate was a concrete tunnel that looked like it was made for some kind of flood release. The tunnel curved to the left. Joker turned the lights on. Ann could hear the roar of the engines echoing around them.

"Oh my God! Brilliant move Jak." Ashley said over the radio. Ann ignored her. "I assume you know where this leads." Ann said to Joker. He looked over at her. "I think I remember." He told her with a smile. Ann rolled her eyes. After a few minutes of driving in the dead darkness the tunnel began to descend. A few more minutes passed and Ann saw the light of the moon coming through the tunnel up ahead of them. Ann looked around as they reached the end of the tunnel. They were in the middle of a giant water canal. She turned around to look behind them. The cars poured out of the tunnel after them. After all the cars came out from the tunnel she began to see police cars emerge.

"Where does this lead?" Ann asked Joker as she turned back around. "Well, it could either lead to hell, or it could lead to the other side of Mingo. I can't remember." He told her. She crossed my arms. "Smart ass." Ann mumbled. He reached up and grabbed her by the chin. He forced her to look at him. "But you 'like' it." He said. He pulled her face to him and kissed her. Ann felt that aching feeling flutter its way into her stomach. He broke the kiss and returned his attention o the road…. er canal?

Along the water canal there were various tunnels like the one they had taken before. There were also narrow roads that lead back up to the various streets. Ann couldn't believe that she hadn't known about this place. The cars following them stayed in single formation. Ann knew they would probably have to take a route that only had enough room for one car at a time. The bad thing was, now the cops could get past all the other cars and reach them. Ann looked behind them to see that they were already heading their way.

He knew this would happen right? He had to have known. He has a plan. Right?

**….**

"Um, Jak?" Ann said. "I know." He told her. He suddenly jerked the car to the left and drove along the wall. The cars behind them followed. The police cars that had been speeding up on their left had to stop or they would have been pinned between the long line of cars and the wall of the canal. The police cars coming up on the right, however, were undeterred.

"Tell them to keep it above 50." Joker told her. Ann repeated the message through the cb. "What? Why?" Alicia asked. Ann could tell she was a bit on edge. "I don't know! Christ! Do I look like a friggin telepath?" Ann yelled back at her. Joker snickered and she gave him a look. He shrugged his right shoulder and looked at her like 'what?'.

Joker's cell phone, that Ann belatedly realized she was still holding, rang in her hand. She looked over at Joker who motioned for her to answer it. She hit the answer button and said hello. The guy from before told her that everything was ready and asked if he should be expecting a payment. "He's asking about a payment." Ann told Joker who rolled his eyes. "Damn it. Tell his sorry ass to stop being such a greedy bastard and to take it out of what he owes me." Joker told her. She looked back at the phone. "Okay."

Ann repeated the message. "He says to stop being such a sorry ass greedy bastard and to take it out of what you owe him." Ann told the man on the other end. She heard him sigh. "I guess I should have expected that. It wouldn't be 'him' other wise. Ok. Oh, and tell that son of a bitch that I really 'owe' him for leaving me to deal with half the city's cops the day he left." Ann laughed. "Sure, I'll pass that along." Ann said and hung up. She was eager to know more about Joker's past and what had brought him to the city to begin with. Ann passed the man's message along to Joker who smiled and shook his head. "May I have an explanation?" Ann asked him. He glanced over at her. "Later." He said. Ann felt her expression drop slightly and she sighed. He looked back at her again and brushed his hand along her jaw line. "Later. I promise." He told her. Ann almost leaned into it again, but she stopped herself. However, she couldn't keep herself from sighing contently and relaxing a bit.

Ann looked in front of them and realized that they were headed for one of the 'off ramps' that lead back up to the street. This one didn't curve at the end like most of them did. It went strait up to an over pass that crossed over the canal at an angle. Only problem was: it didn't connect. It looked like a big ramp that left the last several feet to the road open. "Awe shit." She said. Joker looked over at her. "Oh, I almost forgot. Hold on to something." He told her. Ann decided to take his advice as they hit the bottom of the ramp. Ann grabbed onto his arm and buried her face in his shoulder.

Everything went in slow motion as she felt the car lift off the ground. She barely registered that she was screaming before the car hit the ground and they were driving normally on a road. Well, normal for 'them'.

Ann opened her eyes and released her grip on his arm. He was looking down at her with an amused smirk on his face. Ann sighed in relief and let her forehead drop back onto his shoulder. "Did everyone else make it?" She asked in a slightly quivery voice, which bothered her. Joker looked up into the rearview mirror. "Looks like it. I don't see any pile ups." He told her.

"Oh my fucking God!" Ashley screamed over the radio. "That was AWESOME!"

Well 'that' totally ruined the moment **.**

**I knew he had a plan**.

Your so full of shit.

Ann leaned back into her seat but before she could remove her hand from his arm she felt his hand on top of hers holding it there. She knew she had to have a surprised look on her face when she looked back at him. He just shrugged and smiled at her before moving his hand back to the wheel. She noticed that he had been steering with his knee while his hand was on hers.

A small smile crept onto Ann's face and she realized she was still in a slight shock. Ann leaned her head onto his shoulder again and wrapped her arms back around his arm. She dared a glance at him for a second. He was smiling contently. Somehow it made her feel good. It made her feel needed.

Maybe he's not just using me. Could it be real?

**Yes. Yes it could.** Akirah mumbled sarcastically.

You are such a pain.

**Well, what the hell do you want me to say?**

Something that doesn't involve sarcasm 'might' be helpful.

"Perfect." Ann heard Joker mumble as they slid around a corner. Ann looked up to find what he was talking about. She didn't see anything anywhere. "What? Is it your friend?" she asked. "Look up there." He said and pointed to the catwalks that were outside of every story on every building. Ann looked a bit closer and noticed that there were men standing at various places on the cat walks. They all had ski masks on and they were all holding some type of big weapon. "Are those bazookas?" Ann asked. He looked up at the people again. "Looks like it." He said and continued driving. Ann's eyebrows raised all on their own. "This aught to be good." She mumbled.

Ann looked back as the last of the drag cars passed by the buildings. A few short seconds later the police sped after them. That's when the explosions started. The first four or five police cars exploded and flipped over. The cops behind them had to slow their speed and go around. More explosions and the same repeated several times. They passed by an old grey hound bus that was sitting at an intersection. Ann caught the look on the guys face. It was complete and total disbelief. Joker waived at the man as they sped by. Ann looked at him strangely and then looked back behind them.

After all the drag cars passed by the intersection the bus pulled forward and completely blocked off the road. Ann saw the guy get off the bus and into a car that was parked around the corner. He joined the pack of cars that was following them. "Ok. I guess its time to head to the after party?" Ann asked Joker. He glanced at her. "Sure." The cell phone rang. Ann answered it. "Well miss Joker lady? Was that up to his standards?" He asked her. Ann was guessing Joker had heard him because he held out his hand. Ann handed him the phone. She burst out in laughter as she heard him ask: "Hey Mac. You going to the after party?"


	15. Chapter 15

"Well miss Joker lady? Was that up to his standards?" He asked her. Ann was guessing Joker had heard him because he held out his hand. Ann handed him the phone. She burst out in laughter as she heard him ask: "Hey Mac. You going to the after party?"

* * *

 

The after party was at a place called the horse shoe. It's a road that curves out on the water in a big u shape and comes back to the land. The road that leads to it twists and turns through the nearby hills and where it connects there's a big open area that's surrounded by trees.

Ann and Joker had magically switched seats, while driving, on the way to the horse shoe. They did this because there was no where to stop that had a parking lot big enough for all the cars.

The whole ride Joker kept saying and doing funny things to make her laugh. Once he opened his door and leaned completely out of the car. Of course, Ann yelled at him about it. He just asked if he was worrying her while he was still hanging out the door. Then Alicia honked at him and he flipped her the bird. They laughed about that for a full five minutes or more. The horse shoe was located way out in the middle of nowhere, so it was a good half hour drive. Careless people were known to run out of gas on the way back from a party.

Finally they got closer to the party spot and turned on the dead end road that lead them there. There was already almost a constant stream of cars on their way out there. Their little 'posse' added a huge number. Ann recognized most of the cars that were near them. They had to go slow because of the amount of cars and curves. After the first five minutes of curves and waiting in line Joker got up and sat on the edge of the open window with his feet in the passenger seat. The truck in front of them had a bed full of people that were already starting to party. Ann caught a glimpse of whiskey bottles several times. They had begun making conversation with Joker. It looked like he was having a good time.

The horse shoe was lined with cars on either side of the road that was surrounded by water. Ann parked next to the truck that had been in front of them.

She opened her door to get out. Joker just pushed himself the rest of the way out the window. There was a big bon fire in the middle of the big open area and a smaller bon fire in the middle of the u of the horse shoe. Loud music penetrated the air.

Most of the vehicles that were nearby were trucks. Each and every one of them had an ice chest in the back that was loaded with beer and stronger liquids. Ann spotted several people grilling on charcoal grills that they had brought from home. They were handing out free food and drink. The way it worked around here was: I share with you and you share with me so everyone gets a taste of something. Hell, if a person had the money to supply a hundred people with food and drink every weekend then so be it. Go for it. 'You'll feed the world eventually' I guess.

Ann decided that she wouldn't mind a hot dog so she made her way to the nearest grill area. Ann was assuming that Joker was following her. She had assumed correct when he claimed a hot dog right after her. She opened a random cooler and tossed him a beer just before grabbing one for herself. They walked together to the big bon fire in the middle of the open area. There were countless logs sitting in random places surrounding the fire. They were all smooth from being sat on so much. These logs had been here for who knows how long. Ann silently wondered who had taken the time to collect enough wood for the bon fires.

They sat down on an unoccupied log and ate their hotdogs in semi-silence. Ann had slathered hers in ketchup and relish that the grill guy had provided. Joker ate his plain. Like before, he snickered at her attempts to control her messy food. Ann kept it from dripping on her but it was dripping all over the ground.

"So, 'J', did you have fun tonight?" Ann asked him after she had finished her hot dog. He raised an eyebrow at her use of his friend's nickname for him. "You make it sound like the nights over already." He replied. Ann smiled at him. "Far from it, I hope." She told him. He had that familiar amused look written on his face. Ann looked around to try to figure out what he found so funny. After a moment she realized he was looking at her.

"What?" She asked. He raised his finger to her lips and ran it across the corner of her mouth. His finger came away with ketchup on it. He smirked and stuck his finger in front of her face. She gave him a go to hell look and he just waited. After a moment she finally gave in and licked the ketchup off his finger. His smile grew. He had probably been hoping that she would suck on his finger like they do suggestively in movies. Ann mentally shredded the image of herself doing that to Joker. It got worse, however, as the image repeated itself with her doing that to a slightly different part of his body. She made a mental note to stop reading romance novels. She had never thought of a person like that before though.

The thought of having sex with someone had never even crossed her mind. Sure, she knew what sex was and that plenty of people had wanted it with her. But somehow she found every single person she had ever come into contact with overwhelmingly unappealing. Every one except 'him'. He had gotten to her on a level that no one had ever reached before, both mentally and physically. He was the first person, aside from her martial arts instructors, that could probably kick her ass if he wanted to. She wouldn't go down with out a fight, and a big one, but she was sure he could beat her in any situation. That bothered her slightly. She had a major superiority complex.

Her thoughts about him turned toward diagnosing things that she had said and done around him. She came to the conclusion that she had done a lot of those things because of said superiority complex.

God. He would call me an idiot if he knew what I was thinking.

**No. He'd probably say that you think too much**.

I have a bullet with your name on it.

**Too bad you'd have to kill yourself to use it. Haha**

The conversation was interrupted when Ann realized that Joker was inches away from my face. A half jumbled protest shot out of her mouth as she fell backwards off the log. Luckily, Joker's strong arms prevented her from hitting the ground. "Yes I know. I think too much. How did I know what you were going to say? Well, I was just having a conversation about that 'exact' thing. Why? Because I was busy pondering 'you' and she budded into my thoughts. My thoughts? Oh yes, they were about you!" She said before he could say a word. He gave her a surprised look. "I never asked, love. Do I really get to you that much?" He asked with a half intrigued half amused tone of voice. Ann sighed. "I'm sorry. She's bothering me. You didn't do anything." Ann told him. He looked interested.

"What did she say?" He asked. Ann paused. That was the first time anyone had ever asked what she was saying to her. Also, she realized that he was the first person, besides Misa, that she had ever talked to about Akira. And the only conversation she had ever had with Misa about it was when she told her about Akira. The conversation lasted for about two days, but still.

"She said that you would say that I think too much." She told him. He laughed slightly. "Actually, I was going to say that you look stunning by fire light." He told her. Ann was slightly shocked. She looked over her shoulder at the bon fire then back to him. "Thank you." She said. "Just imagine a burning city instead of this lil camp fire. Magnificent." He mused. Ann didn't really know what else to say, to be honest. He leaned in and their lips barely touched. She closed her eyes as she felt his finger run down her jaw line before his other hand brushed against her cheek and slid across her skin to the back of her neck. She felt incredibly light, like she was floating. Ann recognized the chorus to Even Angels Fall by Jessica Riddle playing nearby as he pulled her closer and the kiss got deeper.

~You will fly~

~And you will crawl~

~God knows that even angels fall~

~No such thing as you lost it all~

~God know that even angels fall~

~And it's a secret that no one tells~

~One day its heaven one day its hell~

~It's no fairy tale~

~Take it from me that it's the way its suppose to be~

There were foot steps behind her. Strangely, she didn't care a damn bit. It barely even registered in her mind. That is, until a hand came into contact with her shoulder. Her eyes shot open. Ann was startled to say the least. Her body jerked into motion. Before she had time to decide upon it she grabbed the intruder's hand and crouched with it to flip the person over her shoulder. They landed on their back in front of her with a thud.

The man groaned. "Fuck. What the hell. She's almost worse than you, J." The guy grumbled as he slowly picked himself up. Joker was laughing hysterically and Ann was left with thoughts of murder flashing through her mind because of the interruption. "You should learn to make your presence known 'before' you approach me and I almost kill you." Ann told the man. The man looked amused. "Wow. She's got a temper, huh." He said to Joker, who was still trying to contain his laughter. "Well, we were having a 'moment'." Joker said once his laughter disappeared.

Ann was glaring daggers at the both of them. "I think I'll go find a drink." she said to them. She let the venom in her voice drip. She got up and began to walk off. "Awe, c'mon doll face. Don't let him ruin our evening. He's just a flaming imbecile." He yelled after her. Ann's mood lightened when the guy complained about Joker using 'big words'.

She was slightly surprised that Ashley and Alicia hadn't come looking for her yet. Because of the stunning fire work display earlier, they probably wanted an excuse to either bitch- in Alicia's case, or compliment- in Ashley's. Ann wasn't really in the mood for either scenario. She knew that they would find her eventually. She usually stay around the fires because of her 'pyromania'. So what if she liked fire? She also liked pyrotechnics. But who could 'possibly' complain about that. Every one likes a good explosion, right? Right.

She went from tail gate to tail gate in search of some decent whiskey. She wasn't going to get smashed. She just really wanted a drink of something. At having no luck what so ever, she settled for a beer. Ann grabbed one for Joker too and headed back to where she had left him and his 'flamingly imbecilic' friend.

When Ann got closer she saw Alicia confronting Joker. Probably demanding he tell her where the hell Ann was. Joker could plainly see her. He even smiled when he notice her standing off to the side. Alicia turned to look in her direction. Ann ducked behind the truck that she was standing next to. She hadn't seen her, thank God. When she turned back around Ann stood from her crouched position and watched. After a few more minutes of her demands and Joker's constantly making the situation worse by making her feel stupid she finally stormed off.

She walked back to him and sat down. Ann made a point of sitting as far away from 'Mac' as she possibly could. Needless to say, she hated it when people startled her. Ann handed Joker his beer and he popped the cap off.

Joker then explained why he had ever been in this part of the country to her. He then proceeded to explain why he had left this part of the country to Mac. Turns out Joker had been here from the time Ann was 16 till she was 18. He had left the area about the same time as she had. He never explained 'why' he had originally came there. He just explained that he was in need of something that happened to be here. He also never explained why he had left to Mac.

God, this man is good with words.

**He's good with more than words.**

Not what I want to hear!

Mac claimed that he had no idea what Joker was looking for when Ann asked him later. She had a feeling that he knew more, but she didn't push the issue. Turns out that Joker had disappeared about a week after she had and that at the time the police were 'really' hot to their location. They nearly caught Mac the day that Joker disappeared. Normally, Mac explained, Joker would have already been at the setup and had everyone dead. But Joker never showed up at all. He was just gone.

Mac said that at first he had thought Joker ratted him out, but then he realized that his friend hated 'squealers' and that he wouldn't have done that. Joker then explained that he had issues of his own involving the police earlier that day and went underground to avoid being caught. He left the next day because he found out that the 'thing' he was looking for had left or been moved or something. Ann silently wondered what he could possibly want with anything in this thrice damned hell hole called a state.

"Ok, Why didn't you tell me you had been here before?" Ann asked him. He laughed. "Well, you never asked me, love." He told her. Ann winced.

**TOLD YOU!**

"What's wrong?" Joker asked when he noticed the expression on her face. She shook her head. "Nothing. I'll tell ya later." She said. Ann suddenly wanted whiskey again. Shit like this made her want to go back to smoking cigarettes. She used to smoke but had quit about a year before. No way in HELL was she going to let Joker know that. She'd end up smoking again for sure.

After a few minutes Ashley and her new boy toy came over. Like Ann had guessed earlier, she totally fawned over the fireworks and complemented Joker and Mac about it in her usual ecstatic voice. Ann mainly ignored her. Joker joined her. Ashley and Mac had gotten into some conversation about something that Ann found irrelevant. They were both ignoring Joker and her. Ann looked over at Joker and jerked her head to the side. She was trying to tell him: 'hurry, lets split before they notice'. He got her intentions immediately. They both slowly got up and quietly walked away. They passed right by Josh. He had a smile spread across his face, but said nothing. He just nodded at them. It felt like he was telling them to hurry up. Ann almost laughed.

She was beginning to get slightly cold. Ann had purposely left her coat in the car. She always kept it off when she was near water. We all know that people are stupid and that accidents happen. It would almost fit her luck to be accidently knocked into the water and for her lovely coat to be ruined. Ann loved her leather coat, so she kept it away from her when near water. Joker didn't seem to care that he was near water. Ann guessed he was confident enough to know at least 'he' wouldn't get knocked in.

Joker led her towards the water. They walked along the shore line for awhile. He decided to re open the conversation about Akira by asking what her annoyed look was about earlier when he told her that she had never asked. Akira's laughter penetrated her thoughts as Ann explained what had happened. He laughed slightly but he didn't over do it. She was a bit thankful for that. "You enjoy her company?" He asked her. "Sometimes. Her insight can actually be very useful. But on the other hand, she also knows exactly what to say to tick me off." Ann told him. It was strange having this conversation. She felt nervous. Ann had no idea why.

Joker gave her a concerned look and took off his coat. Ann was in the process of wondering what the hell he was doing when he draped it over her shoulders. Ann then realized that she was shivering. There was a pulling feeling at her heart. His concern for her looked genuine.

That's it. He cares. He has to. No one can fake something like this.

**You'd be surprised at how far people can go. But I agree with you. I think it's real.**

I'll be damned. Your actually being helpful!

"C'mon. Let's go back to the car." He told her. Ann began to protest. "I'm fine. Really. We don't have to go back." She told him. He shook his head. "Your so stubborn. Come on or I'll throw you over my shoulder." He told her plainly. She scoffed at him "You wouldn't." She said. His eyebrows raised and the look on his face was daring her to try him. Ann took a step back. "Okay. Okay." She said raising her hands in defeat. "That's better." He told her and they walked towards the car. Normally Ann would have kept protesting, but she really was cold. Besides that, he was being sweet. Kind of…

It got warmer the farther away from the water they got. By the time they reached the car Ann was barely cold anymore. She leaned against the hood of the car and Joker stood in front of her with his hands on her hips. Ann took the time to look over his chiseled arms. Every inch was perfection. There were several scars on various places, but that didn't affect their gorgeous appearance one bit. Apparently he had caught her staring because he smirked at her with that sadistically cocky smile of his. Ann basically ignored him and continued looking.

She noticed a scar on his right shoulder that looked like a bullet wound. She raised her hand and ran her fingers along the scar. He turned his head and watched her fingers go over the scared skin. "Does it hurt?" She asked him. Ann had no idea what he was thinking. But then again, she never really did. "Not anymore." He told her. She turned her attention back to his face, but she left her hand where it had come to rest on his shoulder. His gaze lingered on her hand for a moment. He slowly brought his attention away from her hand and looked at her. He leaned in towards her and his lips brushed against hers. Ann's eyes fluttered closed and she leaned into the kiss.

What is this feeling? Is this what it feels like to be happy?

Does he feel this too?

I burn. I pine. I perish.

**STOP THINKING**.

Ann let her mind go blank and just felt him. She concentrated on just feeling everything and thought nothing like she had during her small breakdown earlier that week when she realized that she wanted all the things he had offered her. When she realized that, despite her morality and intentions, Ann wanted to be evil. She wanted.

""Wasn't it 'you' that said you want to watch the world burn?""

His words echoed inside her head. He broke the kiss and she found herself leaning towards him wanting more. She felt his arm wrap itself around her waist as his other hand caressed her face. She slowly opened her eyes to find his face so close to hers that she could feel his breath. His face was blank but his eyes looked deep inside hers, like he was looking into her soul. She noticed the bright gold sparks on the inside of his iris that was surrounded by green. She realized that his eyes looked a lot like hers. Ann had never noticed the green before. "Hey, your eyes are green." She said on an impulse. Like I said, she hadn't been thinking. Just feeling. So almost everything she did was on an impulse at this point. His expression softened and she noticed a small smile. Ann smiled back a genuine smile. For the first time in her life she was truly happy.

This 'is' happiness.

"Hey! There you are!" A very agitated voice suddenly called out at Ann. Her eyes grew wider at the sudden outburst as she came out of her, now obvious, day dream. Ann turned her head to see a very flustered Alicia glowering at the both of them.

The fragile glass shatters into oblivion…

Joker looked at her longingly and took a step back. Ann felt herself blushing slightly. Why was she blushing? She had no idea.

"What the HELL was all that crap back in Tulsa?" She yelled at Ann. Ann felt the quirk of a smile trying to form on her lips. "Fireworks?" She said in a faked bafflement. The twitch in the corner of Ann's mouth got a bit worse.

Alicia glared at her and Ann noticed that she was trying very hard to control her temper. Joker had an obvious smile spread across his face. "I think Ima go for something to drink." He said and tried to excuse himself. "Oh no! I know damn well that you're the one behind this. You don't get away that easy. Its obvious your having a very bad effect on her damn it!" She yelled at him. Joker took a step back and raised his arms out to the side in mocked apology. "Ok. So I'm having an effect. Can't help but be what I am. Her only involvement was as my pawn." He told her. Ann scowled. "Hold on a damn minute! I'm no ones 'pawn'." Ann yelled. For the second time that night she was contemplating murder.

**Don't do it. It could be a trap.**

Too late. She was pissed. "I told him to blow up the cops. Maybe they'll pay more attention next time." Ann said to Alicia. "You did what?" Alicia yelled. "Hold on. That's a plain lie." Joker told her. "She had no idea that they were going to be target practice. All she knew was that I was taking care of the situation." He told her in a calm voice. Alicia looked back and forth between them. It was clear that she didn't know who to believe. She didn't trust the Joker but he was speaking calmly, and telling the truth. She trusted Ann but Ann was yelling and frustrated. "Damn it. It's clear to me that there's more going on between the two of you. I'm not going to be left out of the action this time, Annie. I don't trust him enough to leave the two of you alone without a chaperone. I'm moving to Gotham to make sure your ass doesn't end up in the psych ward because of your impulsive nature and-" She paused for effect. "him." Ann's eyes got wide again as Alicia turned and walked away. Ann sighed.

Wonderful.

**I tried to warn you.**

But it wasn't a trap.

Ann looked over at Joker who looked less than pleased as he looked back at her. Only then did Ann realize what he had done.

He was purposely saying things to piss me off so I would disagree with him!

**To what effect?**

So she wouldn't know who to believe and end up dropping it.

His plan had worked, but it also back fired. A smile of disbelief crept onto Ann's face. "Good job. Had you just let her blame one of us she might not have decided to move. Now we'll never be rid of her." Ann told him and laughed slightly. "You know. I think that was the first time something didn't go like you planned." she said. She laughed harder and this time he joined her.


	16. Chapter 16

His plan had worked, but it also back fired. A smile of disbelief crept onto Ann's face. "Good job. Had you just let her blame one of us she might not have decided to move. Now we'll never be rid of her." Ann told him and laughed slightly. "You know. I think that was the first time something didn't go like you planned." she said. She laughed harder and this time he joined her.

* * *

 

"Hey. You wanna get outta here?" Joker asked her after our laughter had subsided. "And where will we go?" she asked him. "Where ever we want." He said. Ann smiled. "I think I have an idea." she told him. Joker walked to the passenger side door.

Ann was about to open her door when someone shoved her from behind and her head collided with the car. Ann fell to the ground and her vision blurred. "Where's my brother, bitch?" Ann heard a man's voice scream. Joker came out of nowhere and punched the man in the face who stumbled backwards as Ann pushed herself off the ground and shook her head. Ann realized that this must be the brother.

"So you must be Donivan. It's a pity. Had you asked politely I might have told you. Now I have to kill you." Ann said with venom in her voice. She heard the click of a gun being cocked. Ann looked to the side to see another man pointing a gun at Joker's head. Ann silently wished she hadn't left her gun and holster in the car. Ann left it because she wasn't going to wear her coat. She still had the one on her ankle though. It was just a matter of getting to it.

The goon was standing far enough away that Joker couldn't attack him and Ann was definitely too far away to do any good. Joker looked pissed. Donivan walked towards her. "Your going to tell me where he is." He informed her. Ann raised her eyebrows. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't like being told what to do." She replied. He threw a punch at her. She simply stepped to the side and avoided it. He threw another punch and this time she batted his arm away and threw an uppercut under his chin. She hit him as hard as she could and felt satisfied when his feet came off the ground by a few inches and he fell to the ground.

Ann crossed her arms and waited for him to get back up. He did after a few moments. Ann glanced at Joker who had turned to where he was facing the guy with the gun. He was staring down the goon who was backing up slowly and looked like he was about to shit his pants. Amazing how he could do that even without the makeup and bad reputation.

Donivan came at Ann with another punch. Just before she was about to block it again something hard collided with the back of her head. It distracted her and Donivan's punch connected with her face. The air left her lungs as she landed on her side on the ground. Ann barely registered Joker yelling at someone as she pushed herself off the ground and onto her hands and knees. She saw movement to her left just before Donivan kicked her in the stomach and she fell back to the ground.

 

"Where is he?" Donivan screamed at her. Ann laughed. "Burned and buried in a watery grave. Don't worry. I'll send you to meet him." She said and laughed some more as he kicked her again. Ann didn't know why but it seemed so funny. Donivan grabbed her by her hair and lifted her off the ground. She felt her back slam into her car.

Donivan pulled out a gun and held it to Ann's face. Ann laughed at him again. "You think that scares me? You're an idiot." His fist hit her hard in the stomach and she doubled over. She took advantage of it though and went to her knees. Ann made it look like she was in serious pain, but from down there she was able to reach her gun. She had her hand on the handle and was about to pull it out of the holster when Donivan grunted and fell to the side. Ann looked up to see Joker standing in his place. He had hit him in the back of the head with the gun that the goon had been holding.

Joker looked Ann over and realized she wasn't really hurting. He bent down next to her and looked to see her hand on her gun. He smiled. "I should have let you continue. Apologies." He helped her up off the ground. He walked her to an area that had more light. As they left she noticed that the goon was unconscious and it looked like he had a broken arm.

Ann silently wondered who had thrown something at the back of her head. She dismissed it. The chicken shit was long gone by now.

When they had made their way to the bon fire Joker took hold of Ann's chin and inspected her face by turning it from side to side. She flinched when he touched the spot where Donivan had hit her. It stung. "Looks like there's goinna be a small bruise. It'll be gone in a few days though." He told her. She pursed her lips in annoyance. Joker then pulled her shirt up to just below her bra and looked at her stomach and ribs. This spot hurt when he touched it. Joker let her pull her shirt back down. He glanced over to an ice chest that was sitting open in the back of a truck they were standing next to. Ann watched in amazement as he reached over and picked up a bottle of Jack Daniels. "Un friggin believable. I spend twenty minutes looking for decent whiskey and you just accidently find some without even looking." She said. He smiled at her. "You ready to go find that idea you were talking about?" He asked her. She smiled and nodded.

When they got back to the car Donivan and the goon were still unconscious. "I'm driving." Joker informed her. Ann was about to go to the passenger side but Joker pulled out a knife and bent over Donivan. Ann watched as he carved a bloody gash down his cheek under his right eye. When he stood back up she gave him a weird look. "He put a mark on my Shadow, so I marred his face." He explained then got in the car. Ann smiled and joined him.

In the car Ann sat in Joker's lap while he drove. She was really starting to get used to climbing into his lap while he was driving. She didn't block his vision so much any more. Ann gave him directions on where to go. She was taking him to a spot that she had found when she was 16. It wasn't too far away but it was away from all the twisty roads near the horse shoe.

They pulled off of the highway into what looked like an old gravel road that went out into a bunch of trees. The road had really big pot holes all over the place. Ann guided Joker on where to drive to avoid bottoming out. The road split six or seven different times and all of the splits lead to the same place. At the end of the short road was a decent sized open area that was on the edge of a cliff. The cliff was only about 20 ft high and dropped almost strait down to the water at most of the places. There were some spots that weren't as steep. Crossing the water to their right was the highways over pass. It was a long ways above the area.

Ann told Joker where to park. After he killed the car she got out and he followed her. The sound of rushing water was loud in the area. Joker looked around. Ann walked to a spot by the edge of the cliff and jumped over. She imagined the look of shock on Joker's face. A few seconds later he looked over the edge of the cliff at her then jumped down to join her on a decent sized ledge that lead around the cliff. To the right was a huge drainage pipe that was bigger around than Ann was tall. Hot water poured out of the pipe and cascaded down the side of the cliff and into the water. The water came from a power plant that turned steam into electricity. Ann sat on the edge of the ledge. Joker sat behind her with his legs on either side of her. He wrapped his arms around Ann's shoulders and held her against him. She realized that he was avoiding the sore spot on her stomach and smiled.

He had brought the bottle of whiskey and chose that moment to open it and take a drink. He handed her the bottle and she took a drink of her own. "Your not as vile as everyone thinks you are." she told him as she handed the bottle back to him. She felt his lips on the side of her neck and leaned her head to the side to give him more room. "Only to you." He purred in her ear. Seconds later he bit down on the spot where her neck and shoulder meet. Ann sucked in a breath and leaned her head back.

"I want you." She whispered to him. Ann felt him smile against her skin. "I know." He told her. His hands slid down her sides. Ann felt her stomach tense when his hand came close to the bruised area. His hands found her hips and he jerked her back against him. She moaned when his fingers pushed against the pressure points that were hidden there and her body jerked back. He wasn't kissing her. He just watched how she reacted to his touch.

"I'm going to make you beg tonight, love. This is your punishment for teasing me." He whispered in her ear. Ann groaned when she remembered grinding against him when she had dropped her keys. "I'm not going to beg you." she told him. He pulled at her hips again. Her back arched and she moaned a second time. Her hands found his knees and she gripped at the fabric of his pants. "You don't have a choice in the matter." Joker told her. "You 'will' beg me tonight."

She knew he was telling the truth. Ann shuddered at the thought of what he was about to do to her. And she knew she couldn't stop him. He was going to tear her apart.

Well, there's no stopping it. I might as well be comfortable.

"Wait." She told him. His hands stopped and he waited for her to explain. "There's a better spot." She told him. He let out a small laugh and stood up. He extended his hand to her. Ann took it and he helped her stand up. She climbed back up to the top of the cliff and he followed her.

Ann walked toward the base of the high over pass. There was a massive amount of huge rocks that led up to the over pass. When they were directly under the bridge she began to climb up the rocks toward the underside of the highway. When she reached the top of the huge pile of rocks she saw the small man made cave area under the highway. There was graffiti everywhere on the walls, floor, and ceiling. In the back of the small cement cave was a mattress that had been protected from the weather.

Well that's a new addition. Oh, the irony.

Ann turned to face Joker who had reached the top seconds after her. He raised his eyebrows. "Nice spot." He said and took a step towards her. She stepped backwards. Ann's heart beat accelerated. He took another step and she stepped back again. There was a glitter in his eyes. She knew he was enjoying this. He walked quickly towards her and, startled, she backed up as fast as she could. In her haste her foot caught on a rock and she stumbled backwards. Ann shut her eyes in preparation for the hard hit that she knew she was about to take, but it didn't come.

Ann opened her eyes to see that Joker had grabbed her by the wrist and prevented her from falling. He yanked on her wrist and pulled her into him. He grinded his body against hers and she felt him through the fabric. Ann's eyes rolled back and she gripped at his coat. He bent over and picked her up. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as he slowly walked towards the bed. He kissed her passionately then threw her onto the mattress. She bounced slightly and tried not to think of how many people must have had sex on the mattress.

He slowly took his coat off and laid it on the corner of the bed. He then did the same with his shirt. Ann couldn't help but let her eyes roam over his body. He knelt down and began to crawl towards her on the bed. Ann scooted backward until she felt the concrete wall behind her. He closed the distance between them and their lips touched. His hand tangled itself in her hair and she moaned into his mouth.

He broke the kiss and pulled her away from the wall by her hair. Her mouth dropped open as he slung her onto her back. He was almost instantly on top of her. Joker pulled a knife from his pocket and flicked it open. Ann's eyes got wide and she froze at the sight of the blade glinting in the small amount of light. He had an amused smirk on his face. He purposely widened his eyes for a split second to give off a frightening appearance. She kept as still as possible as he ran the edge of the blade down her neck and to the top of her shirt. He cut the thin shoulder straps and slowly slid the blade down her stomach. As it crossed over the bruises she felt her muscles contract and the stinging sensation returned. She felt slightly proud that she hadn't flinched.

Joker took hold of the bottom of her shirt and cut it from the bottom to the top. He ripped the fabric away from her. He took hold of Ann's wrist and pulled her hand closer to him. He placed the knife in her hand then released her. His other hand slid under her to the clasp of her bra. Her hand instantly brought the knife to his throat. He looked up and smiled at her. "I won't be made to beg." she told him. His eyes looked her up and down. "Would you rather kill me then? That's the only way you can stop me." He replied and then grinded against her. Ann's back involuntarily arched against the mattress. His movement caused a line of blood to run down his neck, but he didn't stop. He continued to grind his body against hers. His eyes never left hers. Ann lost her nerve at the sight of his blood. She growled and tossed the knife away. "I hate you." She moaned as one of his hands found her hips and the other unclasped her bra and tossed it away.

"You like hating me. One might say that you 'love' it." He whispered in her ear and she shook her head in defiance. Ann moaned as he kissed the spot behind her ear and his hands pushed on her hips. "Then prove me wrong." He growled.

"Go on. Say it." She felt his teeth come down on her neck and she jerked her head to the side. His hand yanked her head back by her hair and he bit her again. "Okay. I like it!" She screamed at him. He kissed the sore spot that he had created. "Mmm. You what, love?" He purred at her and licked his lips. "I love it." she whispered. He unfastened her pants and pulled them off of her along with her panties. Ann could hear her breathing loudly in the sudden silence as he did the same with his jeans and boxers.

He eased himself back on top of her and kissed her passionately. Ann's eyes got wide and she gasped as he slid inside her. She had almost forgotten the feeling. He drove into her quick and hard. Using her hips to pull her into him as he thrusted. With each movement she got closer to her climax. Just when she was on the verge of release he stopped. Ann was breathing heavily and covered in a thin coat of sweat. She gave him a confused look. "Here's the part where you beg." He told her. Ann rolled her eyes and squirmed under him. "Damn it, Jak. Do you have no soul?" she asked. Her reward was him grabbing her hips and pulling her to him. She moaned fiercely and grasped at his arms. "You son of a bitch. You fucking ass hole." She pounded her fists into his chest when he did it again.

Ann could feel hunger and craze in her eyes. He smiled sadistically at her and drove slower. She slowly leaned her head back and let out a sigh. "Please." She growled in annoyance. "Not good enough 'love'." He told her as he slowly pulled her to him again. And again. And again. She ground her teeth together in frustration as he lightly massaged her clit. Barely touching it enough so that she could 'almost' gain pleasure.

She was beginning to get desperate and tried to move herself so that she would force him into her. It didn't work. She struggled underneath him which caused him to pin her at the wrists so she couldn't move. "What's wrong 'lover'?" He purred at her. "Is 'this' what you want?" he said as he slowly moved back and forth inside her.

Ann bit her lip and arched her back, trying to intensify the movement. He obliged her and sped up. Before long she was moaning uncontrollably and her breath was coming in short ragged gasps. Just before she reached her bliss he stopped again. She growled in frustration at him. He released his grip on her wrists and opted for her hips again instead. She gripped at his hands and tried to pull herself against him again. "Jak!" She screamed at him. "I could do 'this' all night love. Let go of your precious pride." He whispered in a deadly voice. "Sonofabitch!" she screamed and tried to punch him in the face. Her pitiful attempt failed and he caught her by the wrist. She was on the verge of crying out of frustration as he flipped her onto her stomach using her trapped hand. This was different. It felt strange, like he was a bit backwards inside of her vagina. Her sketchy thoughts disappeared as he pulled her up onto her hands and knees and thrust inside her. It felt like ecstasy. She moaned and arched her back like a cat.

He pulled at her hips and slammed into her again then stopped. "Damn you- to the deepest pits- of hell." She told him when she felt his breath on her neck. "Forget your pride. It's just you and me 'love'. I wont tell." She could feel his smirk on the back of her neck.

Something inside her snapped and she didn't care about pride anymore. All she knew is she was hungry and he had what she desired. "God, please. Please Jak." she arched her back which caused him to slide further inside her. His hands gripped her sides and she felt her bruises burn. She didn't care. She pushed herself backwards and he flipped her onto her back again. She pushed against the mattress and her lips found his. He kissed a trail down her jaw line to her neck. "Please. I need you. Please!" She all but yelled at him. He pulled her hips towards him and rammed into her over and over. By now she was continuously screaming his name. She arched her back and he gripped the small of her back with one hand as he lifted her up till she was on her knees and he was under her but still upright. His free hand tangled in her hair as he pulled her back and forth and he yanked her head backwards. Her mouth dropped open and she moaned fiercely. He kissed and bit at her exposed neck. She grasped at his shoulders and her fingernails involuntarily dug into his skin.

He tore away from her neck and went to her ear. "Call to me. Scream Shadow." He ordered her. "Jak! Please! Please don't stop!" She screamed. He thrust into her again. "Why would I stop?" He asked sarcastically. She whimpered and it turned into a moan. Her moan was cut off when he kissed her. Her pleasure suddenly intensified then exploded. She dug her nails farther into his shoulders. He thrust into her a final time and they both fell sideways to land on the mattress.

* * *

 

Joker's Pov

He watched her sleep naked on the mattress next to him. She had passed out not long after her climax. She had mumbled something about him being a sick twisted bastard before her consciousness failed her. He smiled at the remark again and ran his hand down the side of her exposed body. It gave him satisfaction when she shivered at his touch. "Who knew you could beg so beautifully." He whispered. He looked over to the side of the bed and found his knife that she had discarded earlier. It still had his crusting blood on it. He smirked and ran his hand over his neck.

He got dressed and then returned to her. He wrapped her in his coat and began to carry her down the hill of obnoxious rocks. It proved difficult carrying her down the steep slope. He ended up throwing her over his shoulder so he could maneuver easier. Once he got to the car he laid her in the passenger seat and then drove her to her parent's home. He hadn't bothered to bring her clothes.

When they reached the house he carried her to the door. It opened before he got all the way up the stairs and Johnson appeared in the open door. Joker smiled inwardly. "Master Jak. Nice to see you again, and in one piece." Johnson looked the pair up and down. "Rough party?" He asked. Joker smiled. "Something like that." He told the man who stood to the side and let him enter. He carried Ann up the stairs and to her room. He held her with one hand and pulled the covers back on her bed. He laid her down and removed his coat from her. He then undressed himself and climbed in bed with her. Joker pulled the covers up over the both of them then pulled her to him. She moaned in her sleep at his touch. He smiled again and kissed her on the forehead. He laid his head back and let himself drift off to sleep with a smug smile playing on his lips.


	17. Chapter 17

Joker pulled the covers up over the both of them then pulled her to him. She moaned in her sleep at his touch. He smiled again and kissed her on the forehead. He laid his head back and let himself drift off to sleep with a smug smile playing on his lips.

 

* * *

 

Ann groaned and tried to shield her eyes from the light that poured through her window. Just then there was a knock on her door. "What?" She yelled at the unknown person. "Miss Ann. The ball starts in about two hours. It would be wise to eat something and get ready." Ann frowned and looked at the clock on the wall. It was already 3:00 pm. "Holy shit. Okay thank you." She told him. She heard his foot steps as he descended the stairs outside her door. Ann looked to her right to see that Joker appeared to still be sleeping. She rubbed her eyes. "God. How late did we get home last night?" She asked herself. She then wondered exactly 'how' she had gotten home last night.

Joker must have driven us back.

Ann got out of bed to realize that she was still naked. She rolled her eyes.

Tell me he didn't carry me in here naked.

**Okay. I won't tell you.**

Ann walked to the bathroom and started the shower. After she had been letting the water pour over her for about ten minutes she heard the door open and Joker stepped into the shower with her. She smiled as he wrapped his arms around her wet and naked body. He pushed her forward till she was completely under the water and he was getting some too. She was having trouble keeping her eyes open in the constant stream. He leaned against the wall and watched her pick up a shampoo bottle.

"You're a beautiful beggar." He told her as he took the shampoo from her, much to her protest, and began to lather her hair. She scoffed at him. "Your such an ass." She said. After he rinsed her hair he did the same with the conditioner. After that he proceeded to wash his own hair. When they were finished Ann got out of the shower and grabbed two towels. She handed him one and then dried herself. She looked over her stomach. There was a slightly ugly bruise on the left side just above her belly button. She glared at the purple spot then wrapped the towel around herself.

Ann wiped the fog off of the mirror and examined her face. There was a very small spot on her left cheek that was a bit darker than the rest of her skin. Ann glowered at her reflection. Joker draped his arms around her shoulders. "It's not that bad. You can cover it easily." He told her. She sighed. "I know, but it still pisses me off." She replied.

A thought crossed her mind. "Hey, why didn't you kill the ass hole anyways?" She asked him. He looked at her in the mirror. "Sometimes it's more painful to live." He said to her then walked back into the bedroom. Ann followed him and went to the closet. She noticed him digging around in his bag for clothes. "Oh, don't bother." She told him. He looked up at her. "The ball is only about two and a half hours away. You'll save time by getting ready now." She said and pulled out the bag that contained the dark purple tux that he had picked out. He walked over to her.

"Your lucky you know. I wouldn't do this for anyone else." He informed her. She smiled. "Don't I feel special?" Ann said and pulled out her green dress. After they had both gotten dressed and she was satisfied with her make up Johnson knocked on the door. "Enter." She called to the door. Johnson opened the door. "It's time to leave, miss. There's no time to eat." Ann sighed. "Ok. Thank you Johnson." Ann told him. "And by the way miss, you look stunning." He told her. She smiled proudly. "Thanks." she said. "The limo is waiting outside." He told her. "Okay. Oh, where's my grandmother? Isn't she coming?" She asked sarcastically. Johnson sighed. "She feels 'ill'." He explained. Ann laughed. "That's a good excuse." she said.

Johnson left and Ann was about to follow when she felt Joker's hand on her shoulder. "Limo?" He asked. Ann smiled at him. "Of course. You can't go to a fancy snob party with out a limo." Ann told him in a slightly sarcastic tone of voice. He sighed. "You really are lucky." Ann gave him a half smile. "Oh, c'mon. It won't be that bad. Don't you wanna embarrass Chamberlin and piss him off by dancing with me?" She asked him. "Oh, the things I 'long' to do to Chamberlin." He scoffed. Ann smiled at him. "Don't I know how you feel? Think of it as an experiment to get into the heads of the snobs of America." She told him. He scoffed at her. "It's going to be a short experiment." He said. Ann half laughed and they then walked down stairs.

Once they were in the main lobby Johnson escorted the, to the door. The limo driver opened the door for them and Joker allowed Ann to step into the limo first. He hesitated but climbed into the limo with her after a few seconds.

Joker's mood lightened significantly during the drive to the ball. He made a point of telling her that she owed him for this, but other than that he seemed eager to go. Ann silently wondered about his dancing remark that he had made the day before. Joker seemed to think it was amusing to constantly make remarks about the night before. Just when Ann was about to strangle him the car stopped and someone opened the door for them.

Ann stepped out of the car and Joker followed her. Ann had no idea where she was but the mansion that they stood in front of was beautiful and over done. A long set of stairs led up to an extravagant entry way. Joker held out his arm for her and she accepted it. They walked up the stairs together towards the entry way.

When they reached the top a pair of men in tuxedos opened the huge double doors for them. They stepped through the thresh hold and Ann looked around. They were at the top of a very wide set of stairs that led down to a very spacious dancing floor. There was a classical band playing on one side of the huge room. Along 2 other walls were tables that contained an assortment of snacks and food. The space in between was a dance floor that was half crowded with people in fancy dresses and tuxedos who were dancing with each other. To be honest, this was the first time Ann had ever been to a ball. She had refused her grandmother billions of times over the years and she had been given many opportunities to go to one, but she had never gone before.

A loud little man to our left announced us as 'Miss Mary Giovanni and guest'. Ann felt a bit of paranoia work its way into her stomach as Joker led her down the stairs. Most of the people turned to look up at the two of them entering the room. Ann noticed that quite a few men let their gaze linger on her. The paranoid feeling got a bit worse.

Relax. You've put at least half of them in their place over the years. I doubt anyone is going to mess with you.

"You look nervous, love." Joker whispered to her as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Ann shook her head. "You mistake my radiance for nervousness?" She asked him. He laughed quietly. "I mistake nothing." He told her.

Great. Now he knows I'm paranoid.

**So stop being paranoid and enjoy yourself. Remember: picture of Joker in tux.**

Ann smiled at the thought of having a permanent keepsake of him. Her previous thoughts of leverage and embarrassing him didn't even cross her mind. At that moment she noticed Chamberlin working his way towards them from the other side of the room. Ann turned to Joker. "Dance with me?" She asked quickly. He looked over her shoulder and Ann knew he had seen Chamberlin. He smiled at her. "Sure, doll face." He said to her as a slow song began playing. Ann silently prayed that he hadn't been bluffing about knowing how to dance.

Joker took her hand in his and placed his other hand on the small of her back. Ann put her free hand on his shoulder and he began leading her in a dance. Come to find out he was actually quite good at it. Ann caught him smirking at Chamberlin over her shoulder and she smiled. The music picked up in pace a bit and he started leading her into a more 'professional' type of dancing. The kind you see on tv all the time.

He spun her outward and for a split second Ann was directly in front of an annoyed looking Chamberlin until he pulled her back towards him and dipped her. The whole time he had that confident smile on his face. The music ended a moment later and Joker pulled her back up from the dip and into his arms. People had gathered around them and they all clapped. All of them except Chamberlin.

Joker escorted her to a refreshment table and handed her a glass of champagne. Ann sipped on her drink. "Where did you learn to dance like that?" She asked him. He smiled. "Does a magician reveal his tricks?" he replied. Ann laughed.

Just then she noticed his smile turn from genuine to malicious. Ann turned to look over her shoulder and saw Chamberlin walking towards them. She rolled her eyes and ignored him. That is, until she felt his hand on her back. Ann felt disgust creep onto her face as she turned to look at him. "Can I help you?" she asked in a sarcastic tone. He gave her a snobby smile. "I just wanted to make sure all your accommodations were met. Is there anything I can do to help you?" He asked her. Amm scoffed. "Well you can start by getting your filthy hands off of me." she told him. He frowned but removed his hand.

Ann stepped back to stand next to Joker. "May I have a word?" Chamberlin asked her. "Sure." Ann said and crossed her arms. "Perhaps in private?" He asked her. Ann laughed quietly. "Whatever you have to say, you can say it in my present company." She told him. His frown deepened. "I actually have a gift for you. If you would just follow me?" He said and began to walk off. Ann sighed and rolled her eyes. She wasn't about to accept a gift from him. Ann looked at Joker who motioned for her to follow. It appeared curiosity had gotten hold of him.

Ann began walking. Several times she looked back to make sure he was following her. Ann didn't want to be alone with that slime ball. She was assuming that they were in his home because of the way he arrogantly strutted through a twist of halls. Joker walked next to her with his hand on the small of her back. His touch, Ann discovered, was surprisingly comforting.

Finally Chamberlin came to a door and opened it. He allowed Joker and Ann to step through first. The room was circular. The walls were a marble white with gold around the trim. In the center of the room was a table that had something on it. The object on the table was covered by a white sheet. Chamberlin walked over to the table and slowly raised the sheet which exposed a gorgeous katana. The katana's sheath was a brilliant silver and the handle was a darker version of the same color with pictures of Samurai carved into it. Ann could tell by looking at it that it was double pinned and the blade was the full width of the tang. She was sure it was original folded steel. It was a beautiful sword.

Ann heard Joker give off a snide laugh behind me. Chamberlin glared at him. "You think my attempts at flattery amusing?" Chamberlin asked him. Joker openly laughed at him. "More than amusing. It's ridiculous. How much did you spend on it? Probably close to a million I'm guessing." Joker told him. Chamberlin's eyes widened slightly. "Yeah, I thought so. You probably went through a great deal of trouble to get it too. A sword like that can only be earned. Your 'gift' is meaningless." Joker told him.

Ann smiled when she realized what he was talking about. Her Aikido instructor had mentioned once that when a student completely and totally masters the art of the Samurai and the current masters of the art accept their training a sword is crafted for the new master. There is a big ceremony to welcome his knowledge and he is presented with a sword of unmatched craftsmanship. This was one such sword.

Rage spread on Chamberlin's face. "And exactly what do 'you' have to offer her?" Ann was about to step between them and put the imbecile in his place but Joker stepped forward. "A world that's free." He told him. Ann paused in her thoughts.

A world that's free? What's that mean?

"I think it's time to leave." Ann said and pulled at Joker's arm, but he didn't budge. "The very thought that you put your money before honor gives you the right to die. But the fact that you try to buy her affection with an item of that stature that you, in all honesty, have no right to look at much less own, is an offense beyond the means of death." Joker told him. Ann could tell Chamberlin was afraid as he stepped back. "Okay. It's definitely time to go." Ann said and stepped in front of Joker. "Can we go please?" Ann asked him as she touched his face with her hand. His attention snapped back to her after a moment. He nodded then looked back to Chamberlin. "One day I'll meet you again." He told the coward. He then put his arm around Ann and walked her through the open door.

Ann had never seen him so pissed before. Sure, she had seen him mad, but she had never seen him that mad. He walked her back down the twisting hallway that they had come through before. Ann didn't know how he remembered the way. She was completely lost. They finally made it back to the main dance room. On their way through the dancers Ann realized the reason that he was so mad. He had told her once that he had received training under one of the Aikido masters. It must infuriate him to think that Chamberlin could buy something that he had worked so hard for. She had no idea if he had ever received an honorary sword of his own. He had never said. She had no doubts that he had though. He was way too skilled to not have completed his training.

Joker guided her up the stairs and outside. She saw their limo driver leaning on the side of the lime once they were outside. At seeing the two of them he quickly got into the car and drove it up for them. Joker opened the door for her and she got inside. He followed.

Once inside the limo Joker took off his jacket and laid it in the seat next to him. He then pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. His mood seemed solemn. Strangely, he looked slightly depressed. Ann wrapped her arms around his neck and he leaned his head on her shoulder. Neither of them spoke a word the entire way back to her parent's house. They were both speechless all the way up to her room. Ann felt slightly guilty. If she hadn't talked him into going this wouldn't have happened. She really didn't know what to say to him.

Ann was about to change when he came up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist. Ann sighed in comfort as he nuzzled her neck. "I wasn't going to take it. No matter what it would have been." She told him. She felt him smile against her neck. "I know." He told her.

He began to undress her after a few moments. As she stood before him naked and helpless she realized that he needed her. He needed her. He took her passionately that night. There were no games. No manipulation. No power struggles. He made her cry out for him and he fiercely took what he needed. With every touch of his hand and every movement of their bodies Ann felt more perfect. More happy. More loved. As her mind began to loose focus she knew how happy he made her. She knew she made him just as happy.


	18. Chapter 18

The next morning Ann was awakened by the ring of a cell phone. She vaguely realized that it was her phone as she mumbled curses under her breath and reached for the phone on the night stand. She answered the phone with a series of curses at who ever was on the other end. Turns out it was Ashley.

She told Ann that Alicia was going to follow them to Gotham later with all her things and Ashley's once Ashley had found a place for them to stay. Ashley, however, was expecting to ride with Ann back that day. Ann mumbled an ok and hung up on her. Ann was about to sit the phone back on the table when it rang a second time. She answered with more curses. It was Ashley again. She made no comment about Ann hanging up on her. She instead asked when they were leaving and told Ann that she was already packed. Ann woke herself up a bit more and told her that they would leave once they were ready and she had had a chance to say good bye to her father. Ann then hung up on her a second time. This time the phone didn't ring. Ann let herself fall back onto the bed. Joker rolled over and wrapped her in his arms. "Good morning." He said to Ann. She couldn't help but smile, despite her rude awakening. "Morning." she mumbled.

Twenty minutes later they were out of bed and dressed. Ann told Joker that she was going to go visit her father. He grunted an acknowledgement and followed her to her father's room.

Ann knocked on the door and opened it slowly in case he was still asleep. She smiled at the sight of him reading Common Sense by Thomas Paine. Ann noticed that Joker was smiling also. Her father welcomed them inside. Ann sat in the chair by the bed and Joker found the dark corner across the room from the day before. Like before, her father and Joker said nothing to each other. She silently wondered what was going on between the two of them while she talked to her father.

Half way through their talk the conversation turned slightly. "I found a good book for you to read." Her father explained. That perked her interest slightly. Every time he said he found a good book for her it was always a good read. It usually had a lot of witty humor in it and it was usually political. This was the man that taught her to play chess. He taught her how to be a strategist and a tactician. He handed her the book. Ann looked it over. The title of the book was 'Arguing With Idiots by Glenn Beck'. Her smile widened. She absolutely adored Glenn Beck. His mock humor and views on politics were astounding. He spoke the truth about what was happening with politics and had evidence to back everything up. Ann opened the book to look inside. On the inside of the cover was written:

To my glorious daughter Ann with love.

She was beaming. Ann thanked her father for the book and the conversation proceeded along the political line.

Her father, like Ann, was strictly a conservative. She didn't choose to be a conservative because of her father though. When she was 16 her father had explained to her what it meant to be a republican, a democrat, or an independent. He explained how politics worked and what a conservative was. He explained what a progressive was and what an anarchist was. He gave me all the information she needed to make an informed decision about what her political standing would be.

After the conversation was over Ann looked over at Joker who had an impressed look written on his face. Apparently he agreed with her political views. She noticed her father watching him. Ann's father had told her once that there are two things that you should never discuss with someone when you first meet them. The first was religion and the second was politics. He said that the reason for this was that you never know what a person's opinions are or how they are going to react. She assumed that he knew first hand.

When Ann felt like it was time to go she said good bye to her father and told him she loved him. She barely caught the look of longing on Joker's face before he hid it behind his unreadable mask. Ann hugged her father and was about to walk out the door when her father said: "I'd like to have a word with your man if you don't mind." Joker had left his corner and was standing at the foot of the bed. Ann gave the both of them a confused look. "Okay. It's no problem." she told him and left the room.

Ann closed the door and sat down in the hall way. She decided to get a head start on the book while she was waiting, but she just couldn't help but feel like she was being left out of something really important. Ann caught little bits of their conversation while she was reading. She couldn't make sense of the majority of it. She did however hear a part of the conversation regarding her biological grandmother and their daughter, her mother. The last thing Ann heard was her father say: "She's in your hands now. Take care of her."

A few moments later the door opened and Joker walked out of the room. The door closed behind him. Ann looked up at him expectantly. He smiled at her and offered her his hand. Ann closed the book then let him help her up. He nudged her with his elbow as we were walking back up the hallway. "That's a good book." He told her. She smiled. "You've read it?" she asked. He nodded. "About a month before we met." He informed her.

Ann felt slightly hungry so she told Joker that she was going to go put her book up. He said he would meet her in the dining room. So she ran up to her room and put the book on the bed. She then came back down stairs. Ann entered into the dining room to hear her grandmother throwing a tantrum. "You've ruined her!" She screamed at Joker. Ann rolled her eyes and walked into the room. "Ruined her? I'm refining her." He told her grandmother.

Ann finally made it to the other end of the room where the conversation was taking place. "If anyone has tried to ruin me it would be you grandmother." she told her. She scoffed. Apparently she hadn't expected Ann to return so quickly. At Ann's presence she decided to tactfully retreat. She walked towards the closest door, but Ann wasn't about to let her get away. She followed her. "And exactly how do you explain away the fact that all you ever wanted from me was more money and power?" Ann asked and she hastened her steps. Ann got in front of her before she could reach the door. "Seriously, I really want to know how your justifying yourself." Ann said to her. She was furious. Joker came to her side and pulled her away from her. "Come on. She'll get what's coming to her soon enough." He told her. Ann let him pull her away and she swiftly exited the room. Ann silently wondered how he was so confident about her getting what she deserved.

Johnson prepared a breakfast for them. Joker and Ann ate in silence in the over sized dining room. She thought about asking him what her father had said to him again, but decided against it. She figured he would tell her when he felt like it. She was right.

"He told me about you grandmother. Your real one." He said when they were almost finished with their breakfast. Ann looked up at him. "He said that your a lot like her." He told her. Ann thought about it for a minute. She had never met her grandmother. She had died before Ann was born. Her father rarely spoke of her. All Ann really knew about her was that she had red hair like her and that her death was tragic.

Ann began connecting the dots a little bit. She realized that maybe Joker had meant something more that the fact that she was just like her grandmother. Maybe it meant that since she was like her, Joker must be like her grandfather in some way. Ann was baffled at how though. Other than politics and intelligence she really couldn't figure out how they were similar. She didn't comment on her thoughts. She didn't comment at all.

After breakfast they figured it was time to leave. They went back to her room and packed their things. Joker told her that he would make sure everything was put in the car and suggested that Ann go say good bye to her father once again. She agreed and left him to finish loading the car.

Ann walked to her father's room. He was still reading Common Sense. She talked with him for awhile. There wasn't really anything meaningful in the conversation. When she was ready to leave he grasped her hand and pulled her into a hug. "I want you to know something that might make it easier in the future, Ann." He said to her.

Easier? Make what easier? Wtf?

"Okay." She said hesitantly. He held her at arms length. "No matter what, he will always come for you." He told her. Her eyes widened slightly. "I don't understand." Ann said.

"Your not meant to. Just remember that it will always get worse before it gets better." He told her then kissed her on the forehead. She said good bye and left with confusion hiding in her heart. Ann knew he was talking about Joker. But she had no idea what he had meant. It was comforting to think that Joker would always come for her. Then again the thought that she may never be rid of him, even if she chose to be, was slightly scary.

Ann didn't think she would ever want to be away from Joker so she didn't let the thought bother her. Ann tried to focus on how her father and Joker were similar, but the answer eluded her. It was obvious to her that neither of them was telling the whole story.

Ann decided to call Ashley to make sure she was ready, since they were about to leave. She said that she had been ready for hours. She sounded a bit impatient over the phone. Ann told her that they would pick her up in a bit and Ann then hung up on her. That got her thinking about having to deal with Ashley temporarily living with her. Ann decided that she was going to have to start working out and training in a martial art. And she definitely needed training with a gun. Ann sighed.

Looks like I'll be paying for her training.

**At least you have someone to pick on now.**

Very good point.

Before Ann could make it to the stairs to her room Joker came around the corner and they almost ran each other over. He told her that everything was loaded in the car. Ann asked if he had left room for Ashley. He annoyingly replied with a yes and they made their way to the car.

Joker demanded that he drive. Ann sat in her usual place in his lap. When they picked Ashley up she got in the back seat. Alicia was there to see them off. She reminded Ann that she would be seeing her soon and Ann grumbled. They finally left for Gotham. The whole rest of the ride Joker and Ann talked about politics. He asked what her stand point was and what her beliefs were. Ann explained that she was a conservative/anarchist. Ann leaned more towards conservative though.

Ashley asked what an anarchist was. Ann ended up explaining to her that an anarchist wanted as little government as possible. Some might even go as far as to say that they want government abolished completely. On the political scale Ann was in the middle of the right side of the scale. She wasn't completely against government but she definitely wanted it to stay as small as possible. On the other side was the left which wanted as big a government as possible. Progressives kept themselves on that side. Ann discovered that Joker was a lot like her in my views, except he was mainly an anarchist with some conservative. She though it strange that they were so much alike. Apparently Ashley did also, because she voiced it avidly.

They stopped at a Pizza Hut to eat lunch when it was close to 1:00pm. Ann enjoyed this, mainly because there was a big game room. They all played video games while they waited for their food. They all had a really good time. They ordered a large pizza. It was half Hawaiian and half supreme. Ann liked the Hawaiian and Ashley agreed with her. Joker said that he was fine with whatever but Ann eventually convinced him to get the other half of the pizza in his favorite, which was the supreme. Ann dipped her pizza in ranch and Joker did the same. Ashley thought it was disgusting.

Later that day they stopped at a taco Bell for dinner. This meal wasn't as eventful as the one they shared at pizza hut.

At close to midnight they stopped in at the same motel as before. Ann followed Joker into the lobby to get the room keys. The man behind the counter perked up at seeing them. "Your back! Oh, and she's awake." He exclaimed. Ann gave Joker a confused look. Joker paid for the motel room in cash and then scribbled something on a piece of paper. "If your ever in Gotham, give me a call. I'll give you some excitement." Joker told the man. Ann gave him another confused look as the guy agreed excitedly.

"What was that about?" Ann asked after they had left the lobby. Joker laughed quietly. "He has a good sense of humor." He told her. Ann was then left to wonder when the man had said anything that gave off the appearance of a good sense of humor. They left their suitcases in the car and only brought in a change of clothes. Joker insisted that they have the bed by the door. Ann had no idea why. She usually liked the bed that was furthest away from the door. Simply because if anyone came in uninvited she was in the best position to defend herself. That's when his reasoning made sense. He wanted to be closest to the door so Ann would be safer. She smiled at having figured out something about him.

"I hope I won't have to listen to you guys having sex all damn night." Ashley commented once they were all settled in their room. Joker walked up behind Ann and wrapped his arms around her waist. "All night long." He commented and kissed Ann's neck. Ashley rolled her eyes. "Awe c'mon. Seriously?" she complained. Ann laughed.

"He's messing with you again." Ann told her. Joker looked at her seriously. "I was?" He asked. She scoffed at him. "I'm not having sex in the same room as Ash." She told him. He smiled at her. "You know I could convince you otherwise if I wanted." He told her. Joker and Ann watched tv while Ashley took a shower. They cuddled on the bed and he flipped through the channels until he found a rerun of House. Ann like House, mainly because of his attitude and humor. Ann was discovering that Joker and her were alike in a lot of ways. More than just their fighting style or political views. It came down to little things. Like tv shows and sense of humor.

Ashley came out of the shower about an hour later in a pair of pink pajamas. Ann frowned at her. She hated the color pink. She climbed into bed and fell asleep. Joker and Ann continued to watch tv. Well, I say they were watching tv. It was more just enjoying each other's company in silence. After awhile Ann fell asleep in his lap to him playing with the black stripe in her hair.

* * *

 

The next morning Ann awoke to Joker's arms being wrapped tightly around her waist. He pulled her into him and grinded his body against hers from behind. She moaned and rolled to look at him. He gave her a kiss on her cheek. "Good morning, Shadow." He said to her. Ann groaned. "Good morning indeed. What a way to start my good morning." She mumbled back to him and rolled back over. Ann closed her eyes, intent on going back to sleep. Joker had other plans. He pulled her into him again and she arched her back and moaned a second time.

She rolled back over to glare at him. He had a look of intrigue on his face and the corner of his mouth was quirked in a sexy smile. At seeing his face she couldn't continue her glare so she rolled back over and closed her eyes again. His hands found her hips and he pushed on the sensitive spots and he grinded into her again. This time he didn't stop his movements. Ann felt my breathing get heavier and she grasped at the sheets in front of her. After a few moments he stopped. Ann managed to get her breathing under better control and then rolled back over to face him again. "Would you stop that!" She said in an agitated voice. He raised his eyebrows and his sexy smile grew a bit. She felt his hand slide from her hip to the more tender spot below it. "Stop what? This?" He asked as he began to massage the area. Ann bit her lip and her back arched again. She felt his lips on her neck and she held back a moan.

"Oh God! What the hell?" Ashley screamed from the other side of the room. Joker stopped massaging her and gave both of them a mischievous smile.

"Oh good. Now that your both awake, you can get ready to leave." He said and got up out of bed. Ann now noticed that he was completely dressed. "Tick tock ladies. Long drive ahead of us." He called over his shoulder as he smoothly walked to the window and opened the curtains to let the light flood in. Ann buried her face in the pillow and let out a muffled scream of annoyance. Ashley groaned and fell back into bed from her sitting position.

Twenty minutes later they were in the lounge of the hotel eating breakfast. Ann had chosen a grain cereal, Ashley chose waffles, and Joker had eggs and bacon. They ate in silence. Ashley and Ann alternated between glaring at Joker and picking at their food. Joker ate with a bold look of self confidence. Their glaring didn't bother him in the least little bit.

On the car ride Ann decided to sit in the passenger seat while Joker drove. She was still trying to be mad at him. She was caving in quickly, but at least she was still trying. Joker had gone through her cds and picked out Metallica the Black Album to listen to. Ann had her feet propped up on the dash and was firmly settled into reading her new book. Every so often she caught herself laughing at an ironic joke or simply the play of Beck's sense of humor.

Ann noticed that Joker seemed pleased every time she laughed. Ann heard Ashley curse from the back seat. Ann rolled her eyes and ignored her for the billionth time. She had been playing her PSP for nearly the entire trip that day. She was obviously cursing at the game. Ann glanced over at Joker who was tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of Where Ever I May Roam. Ann realized she had been tapping her foot on the dash and she stopped. He glanced over at her and she quickly turned her attention back to the book. Ann saw him smile out of the corner of her eye.

God! It's like he knows my friggin thoughts. He knows I can't stay mad. I can't even keep from looking at him!

**I'm sorry?**

Ugh. Forget you. My book is more helpful that you.

**At least I can answer questions.**

Yeah, with more damn questions!

**You should adopt my principles.**

Ann knew there was no point in arguing with her over nothing. It would just lead to more annoyance and confusion. After awhile of driving they started getting closer to Gotham. Ann felt excitement flow through her at the prospect of finally returning home. She was suddenly thinking of introducing Ash to Duane. Maybe it would get him off her back and he would fawn over her like all the other guys did, excluding Joker. The thought of it almost made Ann laugh, but she kept herself from it.

Joker chose to stop for lunch at the same diner that Duane had taken Misa and Ann to. Ann silently prayed that they didn't run into him. She really didn't want to have to keep Joker from killing him on her first day back. Thankfully Duane wasn't there and didn't show up during their meal. Joker kept looking at Ann expectantly, like he was waiting for her to crack. After they ate they drove to Ann's apartment and Joker helped her carry her things inside. Ashley got no help however. She hadn't brought much anyways.

"Wow. So this is where you've been living for almost eight years? It's nice." She commented when they got inside. Ann showed her the spare bedroom and she began to unpack her things while Joker and Ann carried Ann's luggage back to her room. Ann decided to call Misa and inform her that she was home. It rang six times then rolled over to her voice mail. Ann left a message then hung up. She figured she must be busy with work.

After Ashley was all settled in Ann sat in her spot on the couch. Joker reclined on the other end of the couch and rested his feet in her lap. It didn't really bother her. Ann showed Ashley a map of Gotham and pointed out where they were at. She showed her how to get to all the basic areas like the mall, the grocery store, and the laundry mat. She also pointed out the various places that Ann liked to go in her spare time, like her Aikido gym and the gym down the street where Duane liked to hang out.

 She protested when Ann informed her that she needed to learn some degree of self defense and how to use a gun. "Ah. She'll figure the gun part out with practice." Joker commented from the other end of the couch. "What's that mean? Does that mean I'm goinna get shot at?" She asked Ann and Joker laughed. Ann gave her a sincere look. "Yeah, probably." she told her.

After that Ashley agreed to learn some self defense. Ann felt like getting out for awhile so she decided to take Ashley to her Aikido gym and get her enrolled in a class. Joker said that he probably wouldn't be there when they got back. He said he would see her later. So Ashley and Ann walked the five blocks to her Aikido gym. Ashley complained about having to walk. Ann just told her to get used to it.

During the walk Ann noticed two people following them. They weren't together though. She knew at least one of them had to be one of Joker's men. Ann was assuming that the other either worked for Joker too or was working for the mob. If one worked for the mob then she was in trouble. Not just her, but Ashley and the members of her gym also. Ann resolved to do something about it after she got Ashley into class.

At the door to her gym Ann stopped Ashley. "Try not to embarrass me." Ann told her as she opened the door. They walked into the gym and Ann introduced her to her instructor who said he was happy to meet her and looked forward to seeing her in class. Ann told him that she would be covering her expenses until she was on her feet. He mentioned that there was a class about to start and that it would be a great start for her. So Ann's instructor gave her a gi and some hakamas to change into. Ann told him that she had some business to take care of and that she would pick Ashley up after class.

Ten minutes later Ann finished helping Ashley with her uniform and walked her to the drill hall. "Why aren't you staying?" Ashley asked Ann as she opened the doors for her. "I told you. I have business. Don't worry. I won't be far." She told her. She then pushed her through the doors and shut them behind her.

Now to take care of my little problem.

Since the two people following her weren't following her together, Ann decided to bring them together. That way if she picked the wrong one the other wouldn't have a chance to run away. As she exited the gym she turned the opposite way from which she had came from. It was around 8:00pm so it was dark and there was hardly anyone on the street. Ann had picked out the two shadows rather easily.

She turned a corner into an ally and ran to the other end as she had done the last time she had confronted someone following her. Ann waited around the corner and watched as the two people bumped into each other trying to follow her. From what it sounded like, neither of them knew each other. That confirmed that they did not work together. Ann pulled out her gun and stepped out from around the corner. Both the men froze at seeing a gun pointed at them. Ann motioned for them to step further into the ally. They both did so. "Okay. I'll give Joker's man ten seconds to save his life. If neither of you can prove you work for him then your both dead."

She told the men. Both the men looked at each other with the stunning realization that they had both been following her. The one on the left stepped forward. "Here, I'll call him for you." He said. Ann smiled. "Sure." The man pulled out a phone from his pocket. She noticed that it looked exactly like the one Joker carried. He dialed a number and then threw the phone to her. Ann caught it with her free hand and brought the phone up to her ear.

She heard a sigh from the other end. "How did you lose her?" Ann heard Joker's voice ask from the other end. "Oh no. He didn't lose me. In fact, your man has done nothing wrong. If it weren't for him I wouldn't have discovered this little problem." She told him with a satisfied tone. "Ann? What's happened?" He asked. Ann laughed. "Nothing to worry about now. I'll explain later." She said and shot the mobs man in the head. "Hurry home dear." She said humorously. Ann hung up on Joker and tossed the phone back to the man that was still standing. "Hi. I'm Shadow. Nice to meet you." She said to him sarcastically.

Almost three hours later Ann was in the kitchen cooking beef stew. She just had a strange craving for it. An exhausted Ashley sat in the living room talking with the man that had been following them, whom Ann now knew as Devon. There was a knock on the door. Ann went to the door and opened it to find Joker leaning on the door frame. "Honey, I'm home." He said and stepped inside the door. Ann backed up a few paces.

Joker glanced over at Devon then looked back at Ann and raised his eyebrows. Devon looked like he was about to have a mental breakdown. He apparently thought he was in trouble. "A mobster followed me to my Aikido gym." She explained to Joker. "If I hadn't notice two people following me then I wouldn't have known." She told him. Joker licked his lips and looked back at Devon. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" He asked. Devon stood abruptly. "Ya boss. Sorry." He said and made a hasty exit through the still open door.

Joker shut the door and took off his coat, which Ann noticed had a few drops of blood on it. She also noticed that his make up was smeared in a few places. "This mob business is a problem." He said as he hung his coat next to hers and sat on the couch. "Did you find out what their asset is?" Ann asked. Ashley looked confused. "Asset? The mob? What the hell is going on?" She asked. It was then that Ann remembered making Devon swear to say nothing to her about the mob following her. Ann figured it would just upset her.

"No. No one's talking." He told her. Both of them were ignoring Ashley. "Who's not talking? What's with the mob thing?" She asked in more frantic tone. Ann rolled her eyes. "It's nothing that we can't handle." She told her. There was another knock at the door. Joker looked at her. "Expecting company?" He asked. Ann shook her head and went to the door as he stood and slid his coat back on. Ann cracked the door open to find Duane on the other side.

Shit.

"I need to talk to you now." Duane said. "Um, now's not really a good time." Ann said and tried to shut the door on him. He put his foot in the door before she could. Ann glanced at Joker. He had that look on his face that said he was about to do something that she wouldn't like.

"Look. I don't know what your hiding in there, and I don't care. This is important." He said and pushed through her and the door came open. Joker's aim down the barrel of a gun came to rest on Duane's head. Ann sighed in annoyance.

"You imbecile. What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked Duane. He didn't answer. His face was in a state of shock. "Close the door, Ann." Joker commanded her. Ann glared at Duane and did like Joker had said. "Don't do this. He is my friend. Nothing more. There's no reason for you to be jealous." She told him. Joker looked at me. "I'm not jealous. I can't let him just walk away. You know that." He told her.

Ann looked over her shoulder at Duane. He looked like he was about to snap. Rage was written all over his face. "What the hell have you done to her you twisted freak?" Duane yelled from behind her. Ann's eyes got wide and she spun around to face him. "Do you have a fuckin death wish? Shut you mouth damn it!" she shot at him. Ann heard Joker pull the hammer back on the gun and she spun back around and got between his line of sight and Duane.

"Stop. Joker stop. Don't do this." She said to him. "He won't tell anyone." Ann told him. "Bull shit!" Duane called from behind her. "Go ahead. Make the mistake of letting me go. I'll come back for your damn head you psycho clown." Ann's mouth dropped open and she turned back around to face Duane. She punched him strait in the face and he took a step back.

"This is a situation that you fat mouth can't solve. So shut up!" She yelled at him. "You heard him, love. He can't be trusted." Joker said from behind her. Ann glared daggers at Duane. She spun back around and pulled her gun from its holster on her back and pointed it at Joker. "Don't do this Joker. Just stop." she told him. Her defiance and perseverance had taken over. She wasn't about to let Duane's brain be splattered all over her living room.

"You would choose 'him' over me?" Joker asked her. Ann's mouth dropped and her aim down the barrel waivered. "No. That's not it. That's not true." She told him. He raised his eyebrows and she let her gun fall to her side. She solemnly walked into his arms and rested her forehead on his shoulder. "Please. Please don't kill him Jak." She whispered to him. Ann felt him turn his head to look at her in surprise.

"It takes me days of effort to make you say that one little word, but you say it for him on your own free will?" He asked her. Ann looked up at him to see him glaring at Duane with rage. He was moments away from pulling the trigger.

"Ah, damn it all to hell!" He yelled and threw the gun across the room. It smacked against the far wall and fell to the floor. Joker grabbed her by her shoulders. He held her at arms length and looked at her. "Is this really what you want? You want him to scamper off to the cops to report that you've been aiding and abiding me? Do you want to be locked up for the rest of your life? It's either a padded cell or a stone one. Which would you choose?" He asked her.

"Hold up. I won't tell. But don't make the mistake of thinking that I say that in fear of my life, or because of you." Duane told Joker. "I won't tell because of her." He said and looked at Ann. Ann looked at Joker who she could tell was annoyed. Joker looked down at her. "Only for you." He said. Ann smiled and hugged him around the neck. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her. "God. Your tearing me apart, love." He whispered to her.

His hand came up to lift her face and kissed her. She could almost feel the contempt emanating from Duane. "Hey. Stop your damn love fest for a damn second." Duane said from behind her. Joker broke the kiss and looked at him. "Don't pretend to be insulted. You know nothing about kissing her." He said to Duane. Ann looked over at Duane and she could see the rage behind his eyes. "It's not about the kiss." He said as he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "This was left on Misa's door. It's addressed to you, Ann." He said and handed her the folded paper. She opened it and read the note. Joker looked over her shoulder. Blind fury erupted into her thoughts.

"Ann, wait. Wait for me to get my people." Joker said as she grabbed her coat and walked out the door. "Shadow stop!" Joker yelled from behind her. Ann looked over her shoulder. "I don't have time to wait." She told him. In her fury she dropped the note on the ground as she jumped over the railing and took off in a blind run.

* * *

 

Joker's POV

He watched her make a mad dash in the direction of the mob's hotel. Behind him Ashley, who had been quiet during the whole argument, picked up the piece of paper. It read:

Shadow. I've taken your friend hostage. I will return her safely should you come to where my brother died and take her place.

S.M.

Joker got on his phone and began coordinating his people. "Who's S.M.?" Ashley asked from behind him. Joker paused and looked over his shoulder at her. "Sal Maroni."


	19. Chapter 19

Joker got on his phone and began coordinating his people. "Who's S.M.?" Ashley asked from behind him. Joker paused and looked over his shoulder at her. "Sal Maroni."

* * *

 

Twenty minutes after she started running she arrived at the fancy hotel where Maroni was holding Misa hostage. Ann went around the corner to the side door that Joker had taken the last time they were there. Her cell phone rang. Ann pulled it out and answered the call. "Five damn minutes! Just wait five minutes!" Duane screamed from the other end. "Sorry. I'm not a patient person." She told him and hung up. Ann put the phone on silent. It was a good thing she wasn't already in there. That idiot would have given her away. Ann was slightly surprised that Joker hadn't killed him yet. She pulled her gun out of its holster and opened the door. The hall was empty. Ann made her way quietly through the halls until she got to the door to the room where she had murdered Maroni's brother.

She stood by the door and listened. She heard a man talking. After a moment she heard Misa respond. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she didn't sound like she was in trouble. Ann looked around expecting a trap of some kind. When she saw nothing she moved away from the wall and kicked in the door. It swung open and slammed against the wall. Ann brought her gun to aim at the man that was standing by Misa. She knew that this had to be Maroni. He was in an expensive looking suit and she didn't recognize him from the meeting that she had attended with Joker. Misa was sitting in a chair opposite him. She stood at Ann's entrance and the two guards by the door on the other side of the room pulled out their guns. She looked overjoyed to see Ann. Ann kept her gun pointed at Maroni. "You move and your dead." She told him. He just smiled at her then looked at one of the guards who whistled really loud. Misa ran to Ann.

"Go through that door and take a right. Go until it makes a t and take a left. At the next cross over take a right. Make two rights and then a left and go through the door. Run." Ann told her. She nodded and ran out the door. Ann knew that more goons were on the way. They were almost there. She could hear loud footsteps on the other side of the door across the room. Ann had already resolved to keep them at bay as long as possible to give Misa more time to get away. She backed towards the door behind her.

"Lay down your weapon and I'll let you live." Maroni told her. Ann's nose wrinkled in annoyance. "Like hell." She told him. Ann quickly shot the two guards and Maroni walked to the other side of the room. It happened so fast, she didn't have time to think of shooting him too. She was in the threshold of the door when the rest of the goons came busting in. Ann immediately shot the first three heads that came into her line of sight and ducked around the corner of the door. Ann walked backwards down the hall shooting anyone that came through the door.

* * *

 

Joker's POV

He ran around the first corner in the hallway and collided with someone. The person, whom he recognized as Misa, stumbled backwards. He had almost shot her. There were gun shots in the background. "Oh my God. Go! Go help her!" Misa screamed at him. He looked behind him at the nine people that were with him. Three of them were Duane, Ashley, and Devin. He pointed at the two people at the very back of the group. "You and you. Take her outside. Let nothing harm her." He yelled. He pushed past her as the two men grabbed her by the arms and led her back through the door. The other seven people followed him. Joker ran as fast as he could through the halls. He didn't bother waiting for the other people. Surprisingly, one of the people kept up with him. It was Duane. "What's the plan?" Duane asked from beside him as they ran through the halls. "What plan?" Joker asked seriously. Joker smiled when he heard Duane curse.

As they were about to round the next corner when bullets flew in front of them and collided with the wall. They both skidded to a halt. Joker hesitated and then peered around the corner.

* * *

 

Ann's POV

As she was backing down the hall she heard people approaching from behind her. Ann backed against the wall and switched the gun to her left hand. She knelt and pulled her second gun from its holster. She fired two warning shots at the cross hall behind her then turned her attention back to the goons who were pursuing her. Ann shot two more of them that had tried to come around the corner. She stood back up. She kept the gun in her left hand pointed at the goons and the one in her right at the corner to her right that she had fired warning shots towards. More gun shots came from the goons. Thankfully they missed. Ann managed to shoot one in the head before he could duck back around the corner. Ann heard movement to her right and turned my attention back to the cross hall.

She saw Joker lean around the corner. His eyes got wider at seeing her. He was about to run to her when more gun shots came from the goons and scattered into the wall. Ann fired back at them and they retreated back around the corner again. She heard Joker scream at her to get back as she brought her other gun to aim at the goons. Ann's attention waivered for a moment when she heard him call out to her. Ann heard him order someone to cover her and five people came around the corner and laid fire on the goons at the other end of the hall. She recognized one of them as Devin and another as the guy that she had knocked out while following her when she was drinking. The goons fired on her again and this time a stray bullet caught her in her upper left arm. Ann ground her teeth as her left arm dropped and she fried back at them and stumbled backwards toward Joker. When she was close enough he grabbed her and pulled her around the corner.

Ann leaned her head back against the wall. "I almost shot you." she told him. Only then did she realize that Duane was with him. Ashley had just finished running towards them and she was clearly out of breath. Joker looked at Devin, who was the closest of his henchmen to them. "Twenty seconds. Then follow us." He told him. Devin nodded. Joker still had a hold of her by her right arm. They began running back up the hall way that they had just come from. Ashley gave them a look like 'seriously?' and then followed. Joker never released his grip on her arm. Ann had some slight problems in keeping up with him but she managed. They finally made it outside. Ann saw Duane's car and one of Joker's vans parked close to the door. Duane looked at her. "I'll take Misa and Ashley home." He told her. Ann saw some kind of hurt in his eyes. "Wait. I'll stay with Misa tonight. If anything happens I'll call." Ashley told Ann. "That's not a bad idea. I think I'll do the same if it's ok with Misa." Duane said to her. Ann heard the sound of a van door sliding open and Misa stepped out of the van. She ran to Ann and hugged her. Ann was a bit annoyed with her affection. "Go with Duane and Ash. Their going to stay with you tonight." Ann told her. She said thank you and walked with Ashley and Duane back to Duane's car.

Joker cleared his throat behind Ann. She turned to see that everyone else was in the van. Joker stood at the door of the van and pointedly looked inside. She could tell he was mad at her for running off to save the day alone, so she wasn't going to mention that she had been shot. She was just hoping that he didn't notice before she could take care of it herself. Ann got in the van and he shut the door behind them. He pulled her to sit in his lap. Devin was driving. Ann was beginning to think that he was in a rather high standing with Joker. Devin dropped everyone but Joker and Ann off at an abandoned looking warehouse that wasn't far from the apartment. Devin then parked in front of the apartment and let the two of them out. He drove off after they exited the van. Joker and Ann walked up the stairs to her apartment and Ann opened the door with her right arm. So far he hadn't noticed the wound.

As soon as they entered she turned around and leaned against the wall by her kitchen that was only about five feet from the door. She was expecting a lecture/fight. Joker shut the door and turned to face her. "What the hell were you thinking?" He yelled at her.

Looks like I was right about the fight/lecture.

"I was thinking that she needed me." She told him. He stepped towards her. "Do you have any idea what you could have done?" He screamed. "I told you to listen to me! I warned you not to do that again!" She frowned when she remembered him telling her not to make him worry ever again. Suddenly his arm flew up and the back of his hand hit her across her cheek. Her head snapped to the side.

He hadn't hit her hard. She doubted that it would even leave a mark. But the simple fact that he had hit her made her body fill with blind rage. Her right hand balled into a fist. Ann stepped towards him and hit him as hard as she could in the jaw. His head turned slightly to the side, but other than that there was no effect. "I'm not some doll that you can beat on when your mad. I HIT BACK!" She yelled at him. He turned his head back to look at her.

He grabbed her by her upper arms and slammed her into the wall. Ann winced at his grip on her wounded arm. "Do you know what you could have done? What you could have cost me today?" He asked her. She scoffed at him. "Please. I know you don't give a shit about the fucking mob. And your too smart to get shot, so your life wasn't in danger. You had nothing to lose because of me." She told him. His jaw dropped slightly and he tilted his head downward a bit. "You think I meant me? You are naïve. I meant 'you'." He said and his grip tightened on her arms. Ann winced again at the pressure of his grasp. He paused and looked her over.

He slowly released his grip on her arms. His hand came away with blood. It was then that he noticed the hole in her coat and the blood dripping from her hand. He sighed. "Turn around." He told her solemnly. Ann was annoyed as all hell but she obliged him and turned around. He grasped her coat and slowly helped her out of it. The coat brushing against the wound in her arm hurt and she ground her teeth. He tossed her ruined coat on the floor by the dining table and turned her back around. He lifted her arm and looked at the bleeding bullet hole.

"Do you have a first aid kit?" he asked her. "It's under the sink in the bath room." She told him crossly. He stalked to the bath room and a few seconds later he returned with the kit and a bottle of alcohol in his hands. He put his foot on the coffee table and kicked it across the room. He tossed the kit and alcohol on the floor where it had been. "Come here." He commanded her. She walked to where he stood. He pulled out a small knife and flicked it open. Ann took a step back away from him without thinking.

He looked at her. "Don't fear me. I'm not going to cut you." He said. Ann looked away from him as he closed the distance between them. He brought the knife to her shirt and cut it away from her skin. It fell to the floor at their feet. "Sit down." He told her. Ann made a move to sit on the couch but he stopped her. "On the floor." He amended. She sighed and sat cross legged on the floor at his feet. He took off his coat, vest, and shirt then sat down next to her on her left side. He grabbed the first aid kit and laid out a roll of gauze, some tape, gauze patches, and tweezers. He took the alcohol and poured it over the tweezers and then over her arm. She closed her eyes and hissed. She opened her eyes a few seconds later.

"This is going to hurt." He told her. "A lot" She nodded and scooted closer to him. He began trying to extract the bullet from her arm. It hurt in an enormous way. Ann took it at first, but the longer it took the more it hurt as he dug deeper into her arm. Ann bit her lip and tried as hard as she could to keep from crying out in pain. After only a few seconds of that and she failed.

Ann leaned her forehead on his shoulder and whimpered every time his hand moved. Her free hand was gripping at his pants. After what seemed like hours his movements stopped. Ann slowly looked up at him. He gave her a solemn smile and kissed her forehead. He then held up the bullet that had been in her skin. She sighed and let her head fall back onto his shoulder. He poured alcohol over her arm again and she cursed at the sudden flash of pain. "Ah, son of a fucking bitch." She glared at him as he dabbed at the wound with gauze pads. When the wound was clear of blood he placed a clean gauze pad over it and wrapped her arm with the rolled gauze. He taped it together to keep it from unraveling.

Ann sighed at seeing the damn thing finished. Joker's hands were covered with her blood. He reached up and cupped her face with his hand. Ann leaned in and they kissed. He released her and she brought her hand up to touch the blood stained hand print on her face. She gave him an annoyed look. He pulled her to sit in his lap and wrapped his arms around her. He left trails of blood on her body as he ran his hands over her. Ann was still trying to be mad at him for back handing her. She was failing miserably. She leaned back against him and relaxed in his arms. "I'm sorry… for making you worry again." She managed to say between gritted teeth. She felt his head rest on her shoulder. "I should be sorry. I lost my temper." He told her. That made her feel better. He had actually apologized to her.

After a few minutes of sitting in the living room floor he helped her stand up and he stood after her. "I think I'll take a shower." He paused to scan her up and down. "Care to join me?" He asked. "Sure." She said in a slightly annoyed tone. He smiled and touched her nose, leaving a dot of sticky blood. Ann rolled her eyes and began to walk to the bath room while trying to preserve as much dignity as possible. He suddenly slapped her on the ass which left a bloody hand print on her butt.

Ann twisted and looked at her butt. You could just barely make out the hand print on the black fabric. "Damn it, Jak." She said in annoyance. "Your goinna get that shit all over everything." He smirked at her. "What harm could it do? It's already all over 'you'." He told her. She clicked her tongue and walked to the bath room. He followed right on her heels.

Ann started the shower and let it get to the perfect temperature. She was about to undress when she felt his arms wrap around her waist. He undid her pants and slid them down over her hips. They fell to the floor and she stepped out of them. In the shower he held his hands under the stream of water until they were free of blood. He then dipped her under the flowing water and rinsed all the blood off of her. He lathered her with soap and rinsed her again. She couldn't help but think of herself as a toy doll that some kid had dropped in the mud. She found that thought annoying as hell.

Thirty minutes later they were in her bedroom. They were both still naked. Ann experimented with her arm and tried to raise it above her waist. It hurt horribly so she let it fall back to her side. She was about to try to put on her pajamas when Joker threw his shirt at her and hit her in the face. She grabbed the white button up shirt and threw it back at him with a growl. He walked over to her and held the shirt up in front of her.

She looked at the shirt then up at him. Ann raised her eye brows. He took her pajamas from her hand and replaced them with the shirt. Ann clicked her tongue. "How clear do I have to be, love?" he asked her sarcastically. Ann turned to face away from him. "You were clear from the beginning." She said over her shoulder. He walked in a complete circle around her. He reached around her and took back his shirt. He then lifted her hurt arm and slid the shirt over it. Ann put the shirt the rest of the way on. She buttoned the bottom three buttons and left the top open. She felt his hands slide down the sides of her body and come to rest on her hips. "Ya know, I could say that you owe me for running off like that." He said from behind her. Ann smirked.

God. Is he never satisfied?

"And I could say that I paid you back when you slapped me." She said with a bit of distain. He inhaled by her ear. "Let's not forget that I apologized, and you did hit me back." He whispered. She could feel her heart beating hard in her chest. "I apologized too. So that makes us even." She said over her shoulder. Ann's back arched when he squeezed her hips and pulled her against him. "So were even. But I still got you beat." He said to her. He nipped at her ear and she gasped when he suddenly slid inside her. "And you know it." He whispered.

There just wasn't any getting used to that. He stepped forward a few paces which forced her to do the same. She moaned when he pushed her forward by her hips then brought her back to him. Her hands found the wall that was now right in front of her and she braced herself against it as he pulled back and then pushed forward inside her. She felt her strength draining from her. He shoved himself inside her again and her injured arm collapsed against the wall. She screamed as her body fell forward and her shoulder collided with the wall. She realized she was gasping for air as Joker grabbed her by the shoulders and pressed her back to the wall. His lips found hers as he grabbed her by the ass and lifted her against the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist and whimpered as he slid inside her again. She gripped at his shoulders as he slammed into her against the wall over and over.

Some time later she leaned her head back on the bed as Joker collapsed on top of her. She was still trying to catch her breath. "How do you… do that so well?" She asked between breaths. He turned his head back to face her. "Practice." He laughed slightly. "It takes everything I know to please you." He told her. "Am I that hard to please?" She asked. She really didn't see how. "It's because your so hard to reach." He said. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Ok. You lost me." She said. He leaned up on top of her and pushed inside her further then placed his hand over her very lower stomach. He pressed on the spot and that euphoric feeling shot through her. She gasped and bit her lip. Ann tried to watch what he was doing. "You feel that?" He asked. She nodded. "That is what's so damn hard to reach." He explained. She was beginning to understand. "You wanna know why it feels so good when I do this?" He asked as he squeezed her hips. Her back arched despite how tired she was and she grasped at the sheets of the bed. She managed to say yes and he laughed. "God love. Your making me want you again." He said to her. "That feels so good because it puts pressure on that spot and it sends a scrambled signal through your nerves. That's why it's so hard to keep your back strait when I do it." He explained. Ann briefly wondered if knowing this would make it less pleasurable. She got her answer when he did it again and her back arched a second time. "Shit Jak." She moaned. It seemed he had his strength back and wanted to go again. "Next time I'll have to teach you how to pleasure me. I'd do it now, but I'm just having so much fun with you."

"Next time I'll have to teach you how to pleasure me. I'd do it now, but I'm just having so much fun with you."

* * *

Ann awoke the next day to the ringing of her house phone. It was the most annoying sound in the whole world. She reached across a still sleeping Joker to grab at the annoying phone. She barely brushed it with her fingertips. She reached farther and ended up knocking the phone off into the floor. "Ugh." She let herself collapse on top of Joker. She could hear Duane's voice coming through the phone. "Damn it." She mumbled. Ann wound up climbing on top of Joker to reach the phone. "What? What the fuck? Why is it that I get woke up almost every damn morning by the fucking phone? I'm so sick of waking up to that annoying ring!" She yelled. "Okay. Your obviously still half asleep. Call me back when you wake up, Hun." Duane said sarcastically over the other end. "Hun? I'll come down there and whoop your-" click. Ann looked at the phone in her hand. "Son of a bitch hung up on me." She mumbled. Ann hung the phone on its receiver and sat it back on the table. She looked down to realize Joker was smiling. His hands were suddenly on her hips and he flipped her over and rolled on top of her. "Am I goinna have to teach someone a lesson?" he asked her. She shifted her weight and rolled so that she was back on top. "That depends on who your wanting to teach the lesson to." She said in a smart ass way. She got off of him and walked to her closet. She found a pair of pants and a shirt. She remembered that her favorite leather trench coat was covered in blood and had a rip in the arm so after she managed to dress herself Ann dug around in her closet and pulled out a leather blazer that had a small amount of gold flake around the edges. The coat still covered her gun holster but the bottom half of her dagger's sheath was exposed. She decided to still wear the dagger. She did have a concealed weapons license, so it wasn't illegal for her to carry any of the weapons. It was just prudent to keep them hidden.

"I gotta do laundry today. You got anything you want me to wash?" She asked him. "I think I can find something." He replied. "While I'm at it, I better go get some groceries. Anything in particular that you wanna eat?" She asked him. He shrugged and produced a decent sized trash bag of laundry and tossed it to her. "It doesn't really matter. I'll eat just about anything." He told her. "I think Ima have a copy of my house key made for you, since you basically live here now." She said sarcastically. He scoffed. "I don't need a key." He said. She laughed. "It's the principle of the matter. I know you don't 'need' one." She told him.

Ann decided to skip breakfast. She had a lot to do today. Call Duane, laundry, groceries, key, find Ash a job, and maybe terrorize and scare people somewhere in between. Plus Joker said that he had a job for her later that night. Oh joy.

She grabbed her trash bags of laundry and headed for the dry cleaners that were down the street. Half way there she remembered to call Duane. When she got to the dry cleaners she started a load of clothes then jumped up to sit on one of the washing machines and pulled out her cell phone. Several people gave her a strange look, but she was used to it. Ann dialed Duane's number and waited. After a few rings he answered. "Ah, so your awake now?" He asked sarcastically. "Hey, don't assume I don't know what you were trying with that little 'hun' stunt you pulled." She told him. She could almost hear the smile in his voice. "I don't know 'what' on earth your talking about." He said innocently. "Riiiight. Look, I've been dealing with him for some time now, and compared to 'his' mind games yours are simple as hell. I was able to talk him outta killing you yesterday. But if you piss him off, I won't be able to stop him. So you better watch your step." She told him. "No more trying to make him jealous or I might end up killing you myself outta frustration. Now, what was so damn important that you had to call and wake my ass up?" She asked. "Oh, Misa is moving. She already found an apartment that's closer to the D.A.'s office so she won't have to drive as far, plus the mob knows where she lives. She's moving tomorrow. Your friend Ash filled us in on her living situation too. So Misa is goinna put her on the lease and in a month or so remover her own name. That way Ash won't have to pay a deposit." Duane said. "Good. I won't have to put up with her staying with me. As soon as Misa moves out then we'll just move Ash in. I guess Lesha will be moving in with Ash too?" She asked. "Lesha? Oh yeah. Ash mentioned her. Yeah, that's the plan." He replied. "Great. Well, tell her that I may have a job lined up for her. I'm not sure yet, so I'll tell ya later if I do." She told him. He barely had time to say 'ok' before she hung up. She hated phones and she hated talking on phones.

For the next hour or two she entertained herself by clicking her tongue and watching how people reacted to it. When her laundry was almost done she noticed a guy in a long brown coat walk through the door. The guy wasn't carrying any laundry with him so she had no idea what he was doing in a laundry matt. She was thankful that she had chosen a washer and drier against the wall to do her laundry in and sit on. She acted like she hadn't noticed him. He had definitely noticed her. He walked up to her. "I have a client that's willing to pay money for information about the Joker." He whispered to her. "That's a good one. And since you know who I am then I'll assume that you want to set up a meeting with this supposed 'client'?" She laughed quietly. "Go back and tell Maroni that his ridiculous tricks are well noted." She told the man who had turned as white as a sheet. "You don't understand. He doesn't want you dead. He wants the Joker." The man said to her. She scoffed. "You think I haven't realized that already? I probably did him a favor by killing his brother. I'm not making any deals today. So get lost." she told him. He looked at me funny. "Your going to let me go?" he asked. She rolled her eyes. "Well, as much as I want to kill you, I can't exactly make a scene in a public place, now can I?" She said. The guy turned around and exited the laundry matt without another word. After the man was gone she found Joker's number in her phone and sent him a quick text message. She sent: Just met Maroni's messenger. Says Maroni wants info on u. Is willing to pay. Kinda tempting…

She wasn't sure if she would get an answer but two minutes later she got a reply: Ha ha. Figured he wanted me more. U kill him?

She sent another text: No. 2 many ppl. I think I made his balls drop though. Haha

She didn't get a reply that time. She was officially bored ten minutes later. Finally her laundry was done and she walked back to her apartment and tossed the clean clothes in her bedroom to hang up later. She then made her way to the nearest pawn shop and had a key made for Joker. She took her car because she was about to go get groceries and she didn't want to carry them. Her key had flames on it. She picked out a tie dye key for Joker's. She figured he'd get a kick outta that. When she was done she stuck the key in my pocket and headed for the grocery store. She got eight steaks, because they are her favorite, a half gallon of milk, potatoes, eggs, bacon, cereal, pancake mix, and instant waffles.

She got a slight shock when she reached the check out line. Behind the counter ringing up her food was Devin. She got the most mischievous smirk on her face as soon as he saw her. He rolled his eyes and continued scanning her food. "Well, what are you doing here? I figured you made enough money at your 'other job' to avoid having to work." She said humorously. He sighed. "I get bored." Was his excuse. "Liar!" She exclaimed sarcastically. "Damn it. It's my mom. Ever since I moved out like 4 years ago she harasses me unless she sees physical evidence that I have a friggin job. She's like a damn stalker." He explained. She laughed slightly. "So move somewhere she can't find you." Ann said. "That's what I did." She could swear she saw a light bulb click over his head for a second. "Hey. I didn't think about that! Holy shit. Thanks. Ima go quit right now!" He said excitedly. "Hold up a minute. Can you finish ringing me up first? I got a lot to do today." She said. He stopped. "Oh, yeah sure." He laughed. He finished ringing her up and then threw his apron on the counter and walked out with her.

"So. You know what's going on tonight? Joker said he had a job for me." She said after the groceries were in her car. "Yeah. He didn't tell you? Were busting Mao outta jail tonight. Jokers actually goinna get himself arrested to do it. Harvey Dent admitted to being batman this morning. Jokers goinna use it to get Mao out." He explained. Ann's eyes widened at the mention of Misa's boss. She pulled out her phone and called Misa's cell number. "Don't go to work today!" She screamed as soon as she answered. "Annie, in case you haven't noticed. My boss is in jail and everyone is expecting your 'boyfriend' to attack him when they move him this after noon. So I'm a little busy here.-" Ann cut her off. "You need to stay home, cause he is! Stay away from Dent!" Ann yelled at her. "Ok. Ok. I haven't left for work yet. I'll just call in sick. Will that suffice?" She asked. Ann sighed in relief. For once she was going to listen to her and not be stubborn. "Yes. Thank you." Ann said and hung up. "What was that about?" Devin asked her as soon as the call was ended. Ann sighed. "Complications. My best friend works as Dent's paralegal assistant." She explained. "And she knows about you and Joker?" He asked. "Yes. She's the one that we saved last night. Remember?" She said. "Oh. Okay. I remember her now." He told her. "Listen, can I get your number? I got a feeling I'm goinna need it in the future." Ann asked. "Sure." He gave her his number and then she went back to her apartment to put up her groceries. Joker was there this time.

She walked in her apartment carrying the groceries and went strait to the fridge to put them away. Joker was lying on the couch calling different people. "So when were you planning to mention that you were goinna get arrested tonight?" She asked when he was in between calls. He looked over his shoulder at her. "I'm guessing you ran into Devin at the store?" He asked. "Yeah. It would be helpful to know what your plans are 'before' I get thrown in the middle of them." She told him. "How much did he tell you?" He asked her.

The next twenty minutes were spent with him going over it with her. Basically, they have fun making it look like they were trying to kill Dent, who is most likely not really batman. If he is then they end up killing him and being rid of 'the menace' and if he's not then the real batman shows up and keeps them from killing Dent. Joker gets arrested and busts Mao out of Jail. And here's the kicker. If Dent isn't batman then there are people in place to kidnap him after Joker gets arrested. Joker picked up a local crazy person to use in the 'getting out of jail' part. He didn't say much on 'that' issue, but Ann got the impression that the guy wasn't going to live through the experience. There was going to be a get away van close to where Joker predicted he would get arrested. Ann's job was to ride in the semi with him and the rest of the crew and when Joker gets arrested she was to drive the escape van and help everyone else get away. Dent and his girlfriend get to be the decoys that get batman and the majority of cops away from the police station so Joker can get away. They were going to be rigged to blow up in warehouses that were across the city from each other at the same time. Joker also mentioned that batman was in love with Rachel, Dent's girlfriend. So it made sense to her that Dent was batman. But it didn't seem right. There was just something wrong with the thought of Dent being batman. He was on tv too much and Misa said that he was always busy with work, even late in the day after everyone went home. If he was batman then he must be an insomniac that hasn't had any sleep in months.

It all seemed simple enough though. She was beginning to think that there was a lot more behind his mad and insane strategy of 'not planning'. She'd gone and caught him in the act so he had to explain it to her. She was guessing that his crazy not planning thing had something to do with keeping people afraid of him. It was part of the whole 'Joker' effect. She was beginning to figure him out a bit. Joker had also instructed her to either wear a mask or some kind of make up to keep people from recognizing her. She had decided to go for the make up. A mask just gets in the way too much. She decided to call Duane to make sure Misa hadn't gone to work. "Hey pudding! What's up?" Duane said as soon as he answered the phone. "Damn it! What did I say earlier?" She yelled at him. He laughed. "My bad. You need something?" He asked. "Yeah. Did Misa stay home from work?" She asked him. "Yeah. She wouldn't say why though." He replied. "Okay. Hey make sure you, Misa, and Ash stay home tonight. Shits goinna hit the fan later. So stay home." She told him. He said that he would make sure no one left and Ann got off the phone. She suddenly felt Joker's arms around her. "That prick is goinna get a lesson in manners." He whispered to her. Ann rolled her eyes. She had been hoping that he hadn't heard Duane run his damn mouth. "He's trying to make you jealous. You'd be playing right into his game." She told him and went to the kitchen to fix some fried potatoes for lunch. He followed her and sat on the counter while she was peeling and cutting the potatoes. He had an incredibly evil smile playing on his face. "I think I'll play his game." He said out of nowhere. She glared at him as she filled a pan with oil and turned the fire on under it. "Oh don't worry. I won't kill him unless he becomes a problem. I'm just going to fuck with him a bit." he assured her. She sighed and dumped the sliced potatoes in the hot oil. "So your going to try and make him jealous because he's trying to make you jealous?" She asked in faked amazement. "Exactly." He said. "And what 'exactly' does that accomplish?" She asked him out of genuine curiosity. He hopped off the counter and wrapped his arms around her waist. "It amuses me. I could always just kill him if you think my amusement is pointless." He told her. She just gave him an annoyed look. He smiled. "Your incredibly sexy when your cooking." He told her. She just laughed and got a purple onion out of the fridge and sliced some of it in decent sized squares.

When the potatoes were almost done she sprinkled the onion over them and mixed it in. Two minutes later she killed the fire and got two plates out of the pantry. By now Joker had resumed his place on the couch and was watching tv. Ann brought him his plate of food. She shoved his feet off the couch after she handed him his food and they both ate their fried potatoes. She had made sure to fix enough for seconds, because she knew she could eat more than one plate full, so she was assuming that he could too. When he was done with his first plate he waited for her to finish hers and then went after seconds for the both of us. She relaxed and let him get her my second helping for her.

After lunch she called one of the supervisors at the cigarette plant that she worked at. She asked if there were any positions available for a friend. Glenda, the quirky and good humored supervisor, said that she would set up an interview for Ashley sometime next week. As she got off the phone she remembered the key she had made for Joker. Ann pulled it out of her pocket and tossed it over her shoulder at Joker. He caught it effortlessly. He smiled at the tie dye colored key and gave her a curious look with his eye brows raised. She laughed. "I thought you might take a liking to the colors." She explained. His smile faded after a moment and he tossed the key back to her. She caught it and gave him a puzzled look. "Hold onto it for me, till later." He told her. She realized that he didn't want to lose it, or worse, have someone asking questions about what the key went to. She gave him a half faked smile. "Okay."

So far she had accomplished all the goals on her list for today. Even the goal to scare someone. She was going to get the chance to wreak havoc later. So she spent the rest of the day relaxing. Joker left and returned several times through out the day. Ann pondered her reasoning behind going along with Joker on his mad plan. Normally, she realized, she would have tried to reason herself out of it and dreaded the coming night. But for some strange reason, she was extremely excited about it and was looking forward to it. Ann was guessing that the reasoning behind it had to do with the realization that she wanted to see the world burn. She wanted to see everything in chaos and disorder. She hated society. Hated how the whole world revolved around money and how everyone seemed to have lost their honor. No one had any principles any more. The whole thing made her sick. She was looking forward to taking part in destroying a part of that world.

Ann was lying upside down on the arm of the couch when Joker returned for the fourth or fifth time. He had been busy all day. He laughed at the sight of her watching him from her upside down vantage point. She had an amazing view of his ass when he turned a certain way. "Get up. I have something for you." He told her. She rolled backwards in a flip off the end of the couch and landed on her feet. She stood in front of him. "Close your eyes." He told her. She bit at her cheek in annoyance but closed her eyes anyway. She felt him slip something over her head and something rather heavy came to rest on her chest. "Okay." He said. She opened her eyes and looked at the object that was around her neck. It was a cord necklace that could be lengthened or shortened to her desired length. The pendant itself was a small oval silver plate with the name 'Shadow' engraved in it and the letters were painted black. In the middle of the small plate was a single copper bullet. On the back of the pendant was engraved the single letter '-J'. The whole pendant was about an inch long. Ann looked closer at the bullet. It was obvious that it had been fired. "Is that…?" Joker cut her off. "The bullet I pulled out of your arm." He told her. She was speechless. She couldn't figure out if she loved the gift or hated it for causing her so much pain. "Thank you." she said in a slight astonishment. Joker smiled at the look of wonder on her face. "You like it?" He asked after a moment. Ann smiled and jumped him. He was knocked off balance and he landed with his back on the couch with her on top of him. She laughed. "I love it." She told him and he pulled her into a kiss.

She was about to get off of him when someone barged right in the door without knocking. The loud 'bang' that resulted from the door flying open startled Ann and she wound up falling off of the couch and into the floor. Joker already had his gun drawn and pointed at the intruder. Ann looked up to see Duane standing in the doorway glaring at Joker. Joker sighed and put his gun away and laid his head back to relax on the couch. Ann could almost see him tuning out her upcoming argument with Duane as she leapt to her feet. "What the hell is wrong with you? For fucks sake. What do I have to do to get you people to knock?" She yelled. Duane completely ignored her and continued glaring at Joker. "Whatever your doing tonight, I'm coming with you." He said. Ann's mouth opened slightly in bewilderment. Joker got a mischievous smirk on his face and was about to say something when Ann stepped in front of him and glared at the both of them. "No. No way in hell. Your not part of this in any way and your not going to be." She told him. Joker opened his mouth to say something again and she stopped him before he could. "Don't you dare. Don't dare even begin to think of it." she said. "If he wants to tag along then let him. It might prove interesting." He said as he sat upright. "He's just trying to prove he's a badass like you, and your hoping that he gets shot in the process. No way." she said and crossed her arms. Joker stood abruptly and her eyes widened and she stepped back. He slowly walked towards her. "Do I have to 'convince' you, love? It would only take a minute for you to decide." He said as she backed away from him. Ann knew exactly what he meant by 'convince'. "Are you threatening her?" Duane asked as he put his hand on Joker's shoulder. He tried to spin Joker around. Joker smirked and grabbed his hand and twisted his arm around behind his back. He kicked him in the ass and sent him sprawling onto the floor then returned his attention to Ann. "Well?" He asked her. Ann sighed. She really didn't feel like having a sexual/mental fight with Joker at the moment. She shook my head for a moment. "Agh, fine!" She said and threw up her arms. She noticed that the pain in her left arm wasn't that bad. She hadn't been paying attention, but apparently she was able to raise it above her waist now. By this time Duane had collected himself off the living room floor and was about to attempt to tackle Joker. She got between them. "Stop it. He wasn't threatening me. Not in a physical way at least. So back off." She told him. Joker smiled and stepped behind her so that his body was framing hers. He let his hand drift from her shoulder to her waist where it came to rest. "No. Never in a 'physical' way." He emphasized the word physical. She felt his breath on her neck and she shivered and closed her eyes for a moment when she felt his lips take its place. He snaked his arms around her waist. She turned her head towards him and their lips touched for a moment. Duane growled in front of her. Joker suddenly returned his attention to him as if he had almost forgotten he was even there. "Oh, you can leave now." He said and waived his hand in dismissal. Duane's jaw dropped slightly.

"You think I don't see what your doing to her? Your twisting her and I'm not goinna let you do it." Duane said to Joker, completely ignoring Ann once again. Joker slowly turned his head back to face Duane. Ann spoke up before he had a chance to reply.

"What exactly are you planning to do about it? Did it ever occur to you that maybe I 'like' what he's doing to me? Piss off. Your constant prodding in my life is neither wanted nor appreciated. If I wanted out I would get out." She told him. It was only after her slight flash of temper that she realized she had done exactly what Joker had wanted. She had made it worse. Joker smiled behind her.

"Weather you want it or not, I won't let this happen to you. Your not his play thing." Duane told her. She scoffed. "I know I'm not. He knows that too. Why do you think he's even here, Duane? He's trying to break me." She told him. "And your ok with that?" Duane asked in disbelief. She laughed. "I have to have someone to keep me on my toes." She told him. Duane's look of disbelief grew wider. Joker smiled sadistically at him "How sad. The gallant white knight comes to rescue his princess only to find that she doesn't want to be rescued. It almost breaks my heart."


	20. Chapter 20

 

"Weather you want it or not, I won't let this happen to you. Your not his play thing." Duane told her. She scoffed. "I know I'm not. He knows that too. Why do you think he's even here, Duane? He's trying to break me." She told him. "And your ok with that?" Duane asked in disbelief. She laughed. "I have to have someone to keep me on my toes." She told him. Duane's look of disbelief grew wider. Joker smiled sadistically at him "How sad. The gallant white knight comes to rescue his princess only to find that she doesn't want to be rescued. It almost breaks my heart."

Duane spun on his heels and stormed out of the apartment. The door slammed against the frame and then bounced back open. "I'll call you when its time to leave." Joker called after him. Ann was pretty sure that she heard some inaudible cursing from Duane in response. She was having a hard time trying not to laugh. She was still mad about Duane going with them, but it was a challenge to keep herself from laughing at Duane's little power struggle with Joker. The whole damn thing was ridiculous. She sighed and closed the door, making sure to lock it this time. She was really starting to get sick of people barging in unannounced.

* * *

 

Later that day Joker and Ann were in her car driving on the outskirts of the city. Duane sat in the back seat looking incredibly unhappy. Joker directed her down an old gravel back road. They drove for about another ten minutes and then turned onto another gravel road that led to an old abandoned warehouse that was out in the middle of the country side surrounding half the city.

Parked in front of it was a semi truck and trailer. Ann assumed it had once been used by a carnival by the ferrous wheel on the side. The words 'Laughter House' was written below the ferrous wheel and a big red 'S' was spray painted in front of the word laughter, which turned the phrase into 'Slaughter House'. Ann snickered at the morbid humor as Joker instructed her to pull her car into the open doors of the warehouse. She parked inside and the three of them got out of the car. They were in the middle of a huge room. The ceiling went all the way up to the top of the building. The room was empty except for two other cars and several tables along the wall. On the table and on the floor surrounding them were weapons of all kinds.

Most of the weapons on the tables were machine guns. The weapons on the floor were guns of a slightly larger kind. Among them Ann recognized several bazookas, grenade launchers, and what looked to be a flame thrower. She raised her eyebrow and looked over at Joker who smiled casually at her then strolled into what looked like an office of sorts. Out of nowhere Devin walked up to her and they banged knuckles. Duane gave her an annoyed look and started sizing Devin up. Ann groaned and rolled her eyes. "Ignore him Devon. He's in a foul mood today." She said in an irritable tone. Devin looked over at Duane. "What's he doing here anyways?" She scoffed.

"He wanted to come along and play the bad boy. Joker thinks its amusing, and so here he is." Duane gave her an angry look and followed her as she made her way to the office that Joker had disappeared into. However, by the time she reached the door Joker emerged. Ann stepped out of the way just in time to avoid being whacked in the head with the huge missile launcher on his shoulder.

Joker walked between Ann and Duane then turned to look at her. Duane and Ann both ducked to avoid the huge weapon over Joker's shoulder. "Hey watch it man." Duane said as the two of them stood up strait again. Joker turned around resulting in Duane and Ann having to duck again. "What?" Joker said sarcastically. Ann stood upward and took a step back to avoid having to duck again because of Joker's sarcastic humor. Joker twisted in place again but this time she caught the end of the rocket launcher as he faced her. She smiled and he smirked at her. Duane, who had ducked a third time stood up and said "Ya, just keep your finger off the trigger of that thing while your swingin it around."

Joker smiled at him over his shoulder. "Afraid I'll blow you outta the water, pretty boy?" Duane glared. "No. I just wanna make sure your reckless ass don't get her hurt or locked up!" Duane yelled back. Joker raised his eye brows. "You really think I'd let something happen to her? And even if I would, you really think she wouldn't see it coming? Give her some credit. She's a lot smarter than she looks. And as for getting locked up, 'I' wouldn't stand for that." Ann could tell by Joker's tone of voice that he was on the verge of losing his temper with Duane.

Joker made a show of checking his watch. "Looks like its time to go." He said as he motioned for the group of thugs in the corner to round up. Everyone started moving crates from the office to the semi trailer. Ann walked towards the cab of the truck but Joker caught her by the arm. He shook his head. "No no love. Your riding in back with me." She looked over her shoulder. "What about Duane?" she asked. Joker looked at Duane who was standing a few feet behind us waiting. Joker scoffed. "He can come too." Joker then proceeded to jump up into the sliding side door on the trailer. Ann inwardly sighed in relief. So long as Duane was in the same place as Joker and her he would be relatively safe. That meant that Joker wasn't putting him in a place where he knew he would get killed.

**First sign of trouble and your ass better bail.**

Your not my boss. I'll do what I want.

**You may trust this 'clown' of yours. But I still don't. As far as I'm concerned, he'd probably drop you at the first sign of danger to himself. Just watch your back**.

Seriously? Have you 'seen' all the damn danger he puts himself in on PURPOSE? And for no reason. It's like he attracts danger. Not only does it follow his ass around, he follows it.

**He has a purpose behind it. It's not for nothing**.

Oh yeah? And how exactly you know that?

"Hey Ann. You ok? C'mon lets go." Duane's voice said from a distance away.

**I just do**.

Joker was waiting patiently in the doorway to the truck trailer. It was like he knew she had been having a private conversation. Duane was waiting 'impatiently' behind him.

Joker extended his hand and helped her into the truck as the diesel engine hummed and the truck started to move forward. After Ann was inside the trailer one of Joker's henchmen slid the door closed. The inside of the trailer was lit by several hanging light bulbs. There were crates tied down along the walls of the back half of the trailer. Ann knew there were deadly weapons inside. Joker led her to one of the crates in the very back and they sat down next to each other. "You remember where the car is right." It wasn't a question. "Of course I do." She scoffed at him.

Quite awhile passed before he spoke again. He looked at her a bit seriously. "It could get rough." Ann smiled. "Ya. I know. Nothin I can't handle." she stretched her arms over her head dramatically. There was loud bang noise and the semi jolted. This caused her to bang her head against the wall and nearly fall on her ass. But luckily Joker caught her in his arms. She angrily rubbed the back of her head and Joker smirked at her. "Are you sure?" he said sarcastically. Ann happen to glance over at Duane to catch him glaring daggers at Joker.

Suddenly there was a gust of wind as the doors on the side of the truck were being slid open. Joker stood and Ann followed suit. He slid the lid off the crate they had been sitting on and pulled out a pair of machine guns. He handed them to Ann then grabbed two more for himself. The rest of the people in the trailer already had guns except for Duane. Ann gave Joker a look and nodded back at Duane. Joker groaned. "Sharp. You don't miss a damn thing."

He tossed Duane a machine gun and kept the other for himself. Meanwhile, she was busy trying to see what was going on outside. She could make out a line of cop cars and two swat convoy trucks up ahead of them and one lane over.

As she watched a garbage truck came out of nowhere and crashed into the leading swat truck sending it crashing through the railing and into the water. It was only then that she realized they were on a lower main street crossing over a bridge. The first cop car crashed into the garbage truck but the rest of the convoy managed to swerve around. They passed the wreck and Ann looked back just in time to see the garbage truck back up and begin to follow them.

Duane was ranting and raving. Something about dangerous crazy and stupid something. Ann wasn't really paying attention. At this point she had unconsciously made her way up to the open doors of the truck and she was leaning out the doorway with her hand holding onto the side to keep her balance while she watched. Ann twisted to see the garbage truck pass them on the other side and get ahead of the police. Ann was still watching when she felt an arm around her waist and she looked over her shoulder to see Joker lean out behind her. He gave her that famous smile and then shook his head dramatically. "So much fun." He laughed and pulled her back into the truck.

Ann was able to see that the garbage truck had slowed the convoy as they pulled up along side of the other swat truck. Joker's men open fire on the truck but the bullets barely dented the surface. Ann on the other hand had a bit more sense and fired at the police car behind it. The windshield was bullet proof but the hood and engine weren't. After almost a clip the engine blew and the car slowed significantly. Joker had apparently lost his machine gun and opted instead for a bazooka. He blew the remaining cop cars away within a matter of minutes. Suddenly there was a loud crash and Ann looked a bit confused to see that the garbage truck had come to a complete halt and was now traveling backwards with the top of the cab scraping against the ceiling. The swat truck managed to swerve out of the way and as the garbage truck passed she saw that a black tank looking thing had drove up under it and was hauling ass in the opposite direction.

So much for Dent being Batman.

The semi pulled up along side the swat truck Joker took aim. Ann could see the faces of the two drivers inside. They were absolutely mortified. Just as Joker fired the same tank somehow managed to come flying through the air and blocked the shot. It disappeared from sight.

"Jesus! What the hell could withstand that?" Ann heard Devin call from behind her. Duane was in sheer shock and Joker looked a bit less than pleased at having missed his shot. The swat truck had gotten quite a bit ahead of them without the garbage truck to block them in. Ann saw them turn off the lower road onto a side road that lead back up to the top.

The semi driver swerved and turned to follow the swat truck. He was a bit careless in the attempt and the back of the trailer banged into a cement pillar. Ann was suddenly threw off balance from the jolt and found herself about to fall out the open door. The concrete road was coming up on her fast and everything went in slow motion. Her mind went haywire and the only thing she could think about was how to try to roll to avoid dying, but she knew there wasn't a very good chance for that. Joker crossed her mind and for some reason she just couldn't see anything in her head but him. She closed her eyes.

Too bad. I didn't get to say good bye.

Suddenly she felt something catch her by the wrist and she was jerked sharply backwards. Ann opened her eyes to see that Joker had grabbed her just in time. She collided with him and he wrapped his arms around her as they fell backwards into the trailer. Joker landed on his back with a thud. Ann landed roughly on top of him. She realized she was breathing really heavy and she managed to push herself up so that she was straddling him.

"Good to see you keep your promises." she said between trying to breath. Joker gave her a twisted smile. "I'm a man of my word." He said as she got off him and shakily got to her feet. Joker, however, was a bit slower to get up and she realized that saving her must have hurt his back when they landed. Ann silently cursed herself for standing so close to the edge.

**Ya. Great strategy. Put yourself in danger so someone else has to break their back to save your dumb ass.**

Urusai! I didn't do it on purpose!

**Don't tell me to shut up!**

 

A helicopter appeared and hovered over them, laying down protective fire for the swat van they were pursuing.

"Wrack em up, boys." Joker called over a walkie talkie. Joker leaned out the door to see better and Ann did the same. She made sure to stay close to the side where she hade something to grab hold of this time though.

A moment went by and she wasn't sure exactly what was supposed to be happening. Then, suddenly, the helicopter hit something unseen in the air and twisted. Looking closer, she could see cables stretching between the buildings. There were masked men on the nearby catwalks. They must have been the ones responsible for the cables. 

There was a sickening groaning sound as the chopper tried to right itself in vain. It came crashing down to earth in a twisted heap of flames and metal.

The swat van drove around the wreckage. A few moments later the semi, not bothering to avoid the heap, crashed into the side of it and rammed it out of the way.

As she looked she saw what appeared to be a weaponized motorcycle headed strait for them. "What is he crazy? He wants to play chicken with a semi on that little bike? Well crush him!" Ann heard Duane point out the obvious. She looked at Joker who appeared to be thinking.

"No. He has something else planned." He said while watching. Suddenly two cables that were attached to some kind of grappling hook system shot forward from the motorcycle and attached to the front of the semi. Batman steered the cycle around and under the semi trailer. Joker's eyes got wide. "To the back! Get to the back now!" he yelled as he pushed Ann to the back of the trailer.

Just as they reached the back there was a jolt and Ann felt herself being thrown into the air. She was vaguely aware of Joker holding onto her. Ann belatedly realized that the whole damn truck was flipping end over end. "What the FUCK?" She screamed as her and Joker banged into several crates that had come loose and then slammed into the ceiling as the truck landed. A second later she grabbed Joker's coat and rolled the two of them out of the way of one of the loose crates just before it crashed right where they had been.

Ann groaned from the vertigo and all out sense of dizziness that was swarming in her skull. Joker was able to collect himself faster than she did. "I think its time you got the gang outta here." He said as he helped her to her feet.

"From what I figure, the van should be about two blocks west of here. You should get going." He said then gave her a quick kiss and he disappeared out the door of the trailer. Ann shook her head, still trying to get rid of that dizzy feeling.

The four people that were going to stay with Joker collected what weapons they could find and Ann managed to locate Devin and the other four that were coming with her. Duane was unconscious in the corner. "Shit. He's goinna slow us down. I told the idiot not to come." She growled as Devin helped her get him up. The two of them dragged him to the door as the other four filed out into the street and Ann heard Joker's machine go off in several quick bursts. Once at the door she saw Batman coming strait for Joker on his motorcycle. "Oh my God. He's goinna hit him." Devin said as two of the henchmen took Duane and dragged him to the corner across the street.

Devin and Ann ran to the corner with the other four and she stopped. Devin stopped just ahead of her. "You go on. I wanna see how this turns out. I'll catch up." she told him. He gave her a worried look but nodded and continued running after the others. Ann turned back just in time to see Batman swerve at the last second and miss Joker. Joker turned and watched as the motorcycle laid over and skidded into the upside down semi. Joker craned his neck and smoothly strolled towards where Batman was now laying unconscious.

One of the men that stayed with him tried to pull the mask off and was electrocuted. Movement on the other end of the semi caught Ann's attention and she pressed herself against the wall of the building as two swat team members snuck up to where Joker was. Joker stood over Batman and she saw the reflective glint of metal as he flicked open a knife and held it to Batman's throat.

The lead swat guy put a shotgun to the back of Joker's head just before he could unmask Batman and the second easily handcuffed the other henchman. Ann could have easily taken the swats down with two quick shots to the head. But Joker had wanted to be caught. That was his plan. She restrained herself in annoyance as they handcuffed Joker and he took Harvey Dent's place in the swat truck.

The lead swat member took off his helmet and she recognized him as Gordon. The man that was supposed to be dead. Gordon went to Batman and helped him to his feet. She faintly heard Batman ask if it had worked and Gordon nodded an affirmative. She smirked. They had no idea what they were in for. Batman suddenly turned to look in her direction. She swore under her breath and ducked back behind the wall.

As soon as she was out of sight she took off in a mad dash to get away. She heard heavy foot steps chasing her from a distance as she made a sharp turn down an ally. She made two more turns and cursed when she came to a dead end. Ann frantically looked around and spotted a narrow pipe going up the side of the wall. She hastily began climbing as fast as she could.

She finally reached a balcony and lifted herself over the railing just in time to see Batman fly around the corner and look up at her. Her face was mostly obscured by the shadow of the building. Batman pointed something at her. It looked like some kind of a miniature grappling hook. Her eyes widened and she dodged out of the way as he fired it at her. She grabbed her gun and busted open a window behind her as Batman was lifted towards her by a machine on his belt. For a split second she wished she had brought her katana as she ducked through the window.

She was in a narrow hallway. Ann ran to the other end and ducked through a door and closed it quietly. She was in a rundown public bathroom. There was a rectangle shaped window about two feet wide and a foot tall on the other side of the room. It led to the roof of a building next to the one she was in. There was no space between them. She went over to it and began trying to undo the latch as she heard batman kick down one of the doors she had passed on her way to the bathroom. The latch was rusted badly but she managed to make it move. She heard another door get kicked open. Ann finally got the latch cooperate and she opened the window.

WHAM

Batman kicked in the door to the bathroom just as she lifted herself off the floor and pulled herself through the window. He grabbed her ankle in an attempt to pull her back into the room. She landed a kick to his face with her other leg and he let go. She pulled herself the rest of the way out the window. Ann heard Batman growl in frustration.

The window had barely been big enough for her to squeeze through. Batman couldn't get through it to come after her. She sighed in relief and began to walk to the other side of the building. "Wait!" batman yelled at her in a raspy voice that she knew he was faking. She stopped and turned slightly to look at him. She let her hair fall over her face so that he wouldn't be able to see it. She waited for him to continue. "How are you involved with him?" he asked her in the same raspy voice. She smiled and dropped her voice to a lower and more menacing tone than usual. "He finds me fascinating." She replied. "Why are you helping him? Your free now. You don't have to do what he says. We could help you. Keep you safe." He told her.

Her face turned sour and she scoffed at him. "He didn't kidnap me you fool. I help when I want to because I want to. He has no control over me." Even under the mask she could see the shocked look of disbelief on his face. "But why? Why are you helping him?" She shrugged. "I'm bored." she told him in indifference. "Who are you?" He asked. Apparently he was astounded that she had managed to get away from him. Ann smirked from the darkness. "You may call me Shadow." Ann told him as she turned to walk away again. "If you keep helping him, I'll consider you my enemy the next time we meet. I won't treat you any different just because you're a woman." He told her. She stopped and whirled around. "Good. Cause underestimating me just because I'm female will be your 'last' mistake." She said with venom in her voice. " You'll never win. He's just too smart. Even if you somehow manage to contain him, he will never stop. And neither will I." She told him as she turned and smoothly jumped over the edge of the building to land on the balcony below. She climbed down an escape ladder and took off in the direction of the van.

* * *

 

~Devin's POV~

"No! For the last time! Were goinna wait!" Devin screamed at Jacob. He was starting to get pissed. "We only have 30 minutes to get to the drop off point! We have to go now." Jacob said as he pushed past Devin. Jacob was about to climb into the driver's seat when the door opened and Ann climbed in and started the engine.

~Ann's POV~

"Where the hell have you been?" Devin yelled. "Sorry I'm late guys. I had to see what happened." she told them as she took off in the direction of the drop off point. She was to drive Devin, Jacob, and the other two to pick up Dent's girlfriend, and they were already running a bit late. "Well. What happened?" Devin asked as he jumped into the passenger seat. "Everything went according to plan. Except the bat happened to spot me watching from the corner. He was a bit tricky to get away from. All those damn gadgets of his are a pain in the ass." She told him. Jacob gaped at her. "You actually managed to get away from Batman? How the hell did you do it?" he asked in surprise.

She laughed as she turned down a side ally. "It was luck actually. I squeezed through a window that was too small for him to get through." Devin busted out in laughter.

Three henchmen had stayed behind during the mission to wait for a different dirty cop to bring Dent to them so they could tie him up in a warehouse that was wired with enough explosives to blow up the pentagon.

They arrived at the other warehouse and got out of the van just in time to see an expensive looking luxury car pull up. Dent's girlfriend got out of the car at the same time as the dirty cop. She was furious. "Where have you taken me? Why are we all the way out here? Why wont you answer me?" She yelled. Ann watched from a distance as Devin and Jacob walked up behind her and put their guns to her head. She froze in surprise. Devin hit her hard upside the head with the butt of his pistol and she collapsed. They proceeded to tie her up and Jacob and the other two disappeared into the warehouse with the woman in tow. Devin exchanged a few words with the cop and handed her a rather large stack of cash. Now all that was left to do was wait.

They went back to the warehouse where they had started. Only now did she take the time to look around. The warehouse was significantly large. The huge room that her car was parked in was only half of the warehouse. There was a whole three stories in the other half. There was also a two story house right next to where the warehouse stood. A pair of rickety looking wood stairs connected the warehouse roof to a balcony on the back side of the house. A thick forest of trees surrounded the entire area except for a small but peaceful looking lake that was off to the left side. There was a big open area in front of the warehouse where the semi had been. It was all gravel. It was the perfect hide out. It could also double for the perfect summer getaway. By now it was morning and the sun was coming up over the lake to the East. Everything looked so peaceful. It was hard to imagine that this was the hideout of Gotham's most notorious criminal.

Ann pulled the van into the huge open doors of the ware house and parked next to her Camaro. Everyone filed out of the van and she suddenly remembered the idiot that was unconscious in the back of the van. She sighed. "Looks like I have to take Duane home." she said in an annoyed tone. Devin laughed. "Are ya sure you wouldn't rather leave his ass there?" he asked. Ann shook her head. "No. He's my responsibility. Although it's tempting." She told him. "Ok. Well, there's bedrooms and stuff here. You don't have to take him all the way back to the city." He told her.

She sighed in relief. She really hadn't wanted to drive all that way and back again. Devin motioned for two of the guys to come over and they hefted Duane up and carried him up a set of stairs that were next to the office wall in the corner. Devin motioned for her to follow him. "You hungry?" he asked over his shoulder as he walked up the stairs. "Ya. Just a bit." She told him. The stairs led up to the second story of the warehouse. Devin rounded a corner and walked through a set of open double doors to the right. She followed. The room they had just entered was a large kitchen.

Waist high counters went along three walls of the large room along with wood cabinets. There was an industrial sized refrigerator on the wall next to the door. A sink was on the wall to the left and beside it was a dish washer. On the wall opposite them was an industrial sized stove. In the back right corner was a deep freezer. Along the wall to the right were tables and chairs for people to eat at. "Impressive." she commented as Devin opened the fridge and produced some lunch meat and mayo.

"Sandwich?" He asked. "Sure." She said as she took a seat at one of the tables. Devin made four sandwiches and brought two of them to her. They ate in relative silence. After her first sandwich she stood and went to the fridge to find something to drink. When she opened it she noticed that two whole shelves had nothing on them but packs of Dr. Pepper. She smiled and grabbed a can then went back to the table. "I guess he knew I'd get thirsty." She said more to herself than Devin. He smiled. "Ya. He said it was your favorite. Made me go all the way to town the other day just to get it for you." He said as he stood and walked over to a cabinet. "And that's not all of it." He said as he opened four cabinet doors. Her eyes widened in disbelief. They were all stacked top to bottom with packs of Dr. Pepper. She laughed.

Devin tossed her a faked face of annoyance. "Don't laugh. It was a pain in the ass carrying all those damn things up the stairs. Plus I had to drag around two shopping carts full and put them all in the van. People were looking at me like I was a friggin nut case." This only made Ann laugh harder. "Thanks." she managed to say between my fits of laughter. He smiled.

After that he led her to an equally large living room that had several couches and more than several chairs. The whole gang was watching the morning news on a big flat screen tv. Ann and Devin claimed an unoccupied couch and watched. The news showed footage of the semi flipping over. The whole gang oohed and awed in laughter. "Hey come on now! That friggin hurt!" One of the guys said over the crowd. "Yeah. Then 'death stalker' over there nearly fell to her damn death." Another guy laughed. Ann stuck her tongue out and flipped him off. They all laughed again. "Good thing Joker was there to pull her ass back in the truck. She'd have met pavement if he hadn't been right there." Devin said.

What were you saying about him dropping me at the first sigh of trouble?

**Shut it.**

No really. You said something about him not caring?

Hmph.

"I seen how far he had to reach out to save her. He nearly fell out with her! I don't think he'd do that for just anyone." Devin said. "So what's the deal with you two anyways? He's barely here anymore. He's always staying at your place. He's basically let Devin run the whole show for the last month and a half. He only pops in when something really important is happening." Jacob said from beside Ann. She shrugged. "I really don't know. He's fascinated with me. Ever since I disarmed a cop that was chasing him the night we met he started following me around. He even saved my life the day after that from a mugger." She told them.

"You disarmed a cop for him before you even knew him? Why?" Someone asked from across the room. "Ok. See, I'm a random person. I do most things on an impulse. You know, I go by instinct. Something just told me to help. I never much cared for cops anyways." She told him. Him and another guy exchanged looks. "Do you, you know, love him?" He asked. Ann felt her face flush. "W-why the hell are you guys askin all these damn questions anyways?" She asked. Devin spoke up this time. "You gotta think here. Most of these guys have never met you before. Joker's been gone constantly since you guys met. He's had numerous people follow you around for no reason what so ever. He went with you to visit your parents for the weekend, which is almost laughable in and of itself. And every time he is around he ends up mentioning you in one way or another. Your like a phantom to them. They wanna know what's goin on." He explained.

"Have yall had sex yet?" Someone at the back of the crowd yelled out of nowhere. She felt her face get even redder. "That's none of your business!" She yelled back. Someone else laughed. "That means yes." He said. Ann glared in the direction of where the voice came from. "Was it good?" Another guy asked. Ann suddenly got a very evil idea. "Well, he was a lot better than any of you guys could ever hope to be." She said out loud. There was a lot of oohs.

"Hey quiet guys. There sayin something about Joker." Someone said. Everyone was quiet as they listened to the tv. "The fire department is still trying to extinguish the fires inside the Gotham city police station. After the apprehension of the Joker early this morning there was an apparent explosion that decimated a whole floor of the building. The police are giving us no answer as to what caused the explosion. Witnesses say that around 7:30 almost the entire police force left in a hurry about ten minutes before the explosion occurred. They speculate that the Joker had planned to be caught all along and that Harvey Dent's mysterious disappearance may have been a distraction to allow time for Joker's escape. We will bring you more on this story as it unfolds."

Ann looked at the clock. It read 8:12. "I guess that means everything went according to plan." she said. "Ya. He should be on his way back now." Someone else said. Ann's cell phone rang. Ann groaned when the caller ID told her that she was about to get an ear full from Misa. Ann told everyone to be quiet and she put it on speaker phone. "Hello?" Ann said in a sweet voice. "WHAT THE HELL! You flipped a semi?" Misa yelled over the phone. "Yes I'm aware of that. And for the record, that was a very unpleasant experience." Ann told her. There were multiple snickers around the room.

"HOW did you manage to FLIP a friggin SEMI?" She yelled. "I have no idea. Honestly, I'm still a little dizzy." Ann said in a sincere voice. Everyone laughed quietly again. "What was that noise?" She asked. "AM I ON SPEAKER PHONE?" She yelled angrily. Ann couldn't take it anymore. She burst out laughing as did the rest of the room. She was barely able to make out her furious yelling over the noise in the room and the ache in her side. Finally after everyone was quite again she could hear her arguing with someone over the phone. There was a loud thump then "Oh my fucking God! That was so awesome! I am so totally coming the next time you guys do something crazy!" Ashley said over the phone. Ann could hear Misa yelling something inaudible in the background. Devin perked up at the sound of Ashley's voice. "Oh hey Ashley. How was your night?" He asked. Ann could hear the blush in Ashley's voice when she said that it was good. The whole room cooed and awed at Devin.

"That's so cute! I remember love at that age." One of the guys teased Devin. "Shut it Roger!" Devin yelled and threw an empty pop can at him. Everyone laughed even harder. After the laughter died down there was a weird awkward silence. Ann could tell from the snickers around the room that they were all trying really hard not so say something else about mine and Joker's sex life. "So anyways Shadow…. How big is it?" Someone else asked. Ann growled. "Can we please change the damn subject?" She yelled and crossed her arms. Everyone laughed. "Awe look guys! She's blushing!" Another guy said. Ann growled and it was her turn to throw a pop can. Hers was a third full though and the guy and the two next to him were sprayed with pop. Everyone laughed again.

"Awe dangit. This is my favorite shirt." One of the guys complained. Ann couldn't keep herself from laughing with everyone else. Someone coughed sarcastically behind them. They all turned around to see Joker leaning casually in the doorway with his arms crossed. Ann's mood was instantly ten times better. The whole room suddenly exploded in a mixture of applause, congrats, and questions. Ann stood but then nearly fell over in annoyance when she realized that most of the questions were about hers and Joker's sex life. Joker just smiled and looked at her. He never said a word. He held out his hand towards her and the room suddenly went silent. Ann slowly walked to him and let her hand slide into his. They then both smoothly turned and walked out of the room. "Get some sleep boys. Tomorrow's goinna be a busy day." He called over his shoulder. There was a lot of protest but everyone filed out of the room and into different rooms that Ann was assuming to be their bed rooms.

Joker led her through the hall way and up a second set of stairs then through a metal door at the end of another hall. On the other side of the door was a third set of stairs that led to the roof. It was really bright outside and Ann was beginning to feel the effects of staying up all night. Once on the roof they walked down the wooden stairs to the balcony on the back side of the house and through a door. He turned to their immediate right and unlocked a door then opened it for her. Ann was excited. She finally had a chance to see what his room looked like.

I bet its goinna be colorful.

**Or sadistic**.

Ann stepped inside the room and Joker followed her and shut the door behind them. She heard numerous locks clicking and turned around to see that the door had several dead bolts, a chain at the top, and a few of the sliding locks. "Damn, you expecting an army to try and bust down the door?" Ann asked. Joker turned to look at her. "It pays to be prepared." He said simply. Ann had to admit, She agreed with him. Ann turned to look around the room. The walls were a light shade of grey with a bright green border went around the top. The door was a deep mahogany with reinforced metal plates around the hinges and the door knob. The border of the doors and window was the same bright green. The bed was a queen size and was situated in the middle of the room. It had four tall posts on all four corners made of the same deep mahogany. The sheets were the dark purple that he was famous for wearing.

On the wall opposite the bed was a setup similar to hers. His was a bit more extravagant though. There was a long and fancy looking table with that mahogany wood again. There was a bright green table cloth hanging over the edge in the shape of a V. On top of the table there was a sword stand. On the stand Ann recognized the Japanese symbol for 'passion'. Everything else in the room was absolutely and extraordinarily plane in comparison to the katana that sat on top of it. The katana was silver from base to tip. The hilt was a silver dragon with green emeralds for eyes. The hand guard was the dragon's wings and they were also silver. The scabbard was obviously wood but it was painted silver and there was a silver cap on the bottom to protect it if it were to be used as a weapon. Ann had never seen a sword so beautiful in her entire life. She had unconsciously walked to stand in front of the shrine to admire the sword. She couldn't take her eyes off it. Suddenly she remembered Joker mocking Chamberlin when he tried to give her a similar sword to win her affection. This sword was much more extravagant and gorgeous. She remembered Joker saying that a sword like this one could only be earned.

He must have gone through some hell to earn it. No wonder he was so pissed.

**Yeah**.

Ann felt two arms wrap around her and Joker's smooth voice sounded in her ear. "So what do you think of my room?" He asked. Ann couldn't speak for a long moment while she looked over the katana one last time. "It's beautiful." she told him. She wasn't talking about the room, and he knew it. "It was made for me the day I completed my training. When the student becomes a master a sword is made to reflect their personality." He explained. Now Ann understood completely. He had definitely gone through some hell to get that sword. "How old were you, when you finished?" She asked. He inhaled deeply next to her ear. It always gave her the impression that he was smelling her when he did that. "Mmm. Twenty three." He said when he exhaled.

I wonder how old he is now.

"That was almost eight years ago." He mused.

Well, at least he answered my question.

**He really doesn't look like he's thirty one.**

"Your probably thinking that I don't look my age." He guessed. Ann laughed a little. "Nope. That was someone else. 'I' was thinking more like you don't 'act' your age." She told him as she twisted her head to smile at him over her shoulder. He picked her up by her waist and threw her onto the bed with a laugh then walked over to the door and turned the light out. He then proceeded to walk back across the room to the window to close the blinds so that it was almost completely dark in the room.

Damn. He must be tired as hell. He's not wanting to play.

"We'll take a shower in the morning." He told her. She smiled at him as he started to undress. "Okay sunshine." He looked at her funny at the pet name she had just blurted out. She really couldn't help it. She was in a good mood and she was tired, so she was goinna be kinda loopy. "Oh. By the way, Devin told me about him lugging all that Dr. Pepper back from the store. Thanks." She told him as he pulled the covers up over them. He laughed. "Yeah. I was just giving him shit. Your welcome." She suddenly felt ten times more tired than she had been feeling minutes ago. She let her mind go blank as it was taken over by darkness.


	21. Chapter 21

Ann opened her eyes to the sting of a fading light that was pouring through the blinds on the window. She closed her eyes again and rolled over to burry her face in the pillow. She was vaguely aware that Joker wasn't in bed with her. She was in the process of wondering why when she remembered the events of the night before.

~ The concrete road was coming up on her fast and everything went in slow motion. Her mind went haywire and the only thing she could think about was how to try to roll to avoid dying, but she knew there wasn't a very good chance for that. Joker crossed her mind and for some reason she just couldn't see anything in her head but him. She closed her eyes.

Too bad. I didn't get to say good bye. ~

Why the hell would I think something stupid like that when I thought I was about to die?

**Your in love. Your in love.**  Akira chanted in a song like voice.

Ann ignored her as her mind went back to what Joker had told Duane.

~"You really think I'd let something happen to her? And even if I would, you really think she wouldn't see it coming? Give her some credit. She's a lot smarter than she looks. And as for getting locked up, 'I' wouldn't stand for that."~

**Awe! He loves you back.**

Your an imbecile. There's more to this than 'that' idea.

**Ann and Joker sittin in a tree. F- u- c-**

I wish you had a physical form.

**n – g- huh? Why?**

So I could beat the hell out of you.

Ann sat upright in bed and her attention landed on Joker's sword.

It really is beautiful.

She got up and made her way to the bathroom for a shower. The bathroom connected to Joker's bedroom. There wasn't anything in the bathroom that made it stand out. It was just like any other bathroom. The only difference was that the tile and counters were black. The room was significantly warmer than the bedroom and the bathtub was wet, as was the floor directly in front of it.

**So I guess he's already taken his shower.**

She started up the water and when it was the right temperature she stepped inside the tub and closed the shower curtain. She borrowed Joker's shampoo and soap. She also used his razor to shave her legs and laughed while she did so.

After her shower she dried off and wrapped the towel around herself then reentered the bedroom. She belatedly noticed that all her clothes except her leather blazer and underwear were missing. She felt her eyes fall into a glare at where her missing clothes had once been then she looked around the room. There was a closet door next to the bathroom and she wandered over to it. Upon opening the door she found several sets of purple suits and green vests. She noticed that the dark purple/black suit he had worn at the ball was hanging in the front. She smiled even though there was nothing useful in the closet. Ann closed the door and looked around a second time. This time she saw a dark mahogany dresser a few feet to the left of the window that she hadn't noticed before. She made her way over to it and began looking through the drawers. Everything looked ordinary. There were boxers and socks in the top drawer. The next two drawers contained mainly black shirts but there were several colored ones. The bottom two drawers had nothing but black jeans. Ann groaned in annoyance.

I can't wear any of these. Maybe if I had a belt or something.

SLAM

She spun around in her knelt position on the floor at the sound of the bedroom door closing. Joker stood on the other side of the room with his hands behind his back. "Find everything ok?" He asked sarcastically.

Ann laughed nervously as she shut the drawer she had just been looking through and stood up. He smirked at her and dropped her clothes on the bed in a neat stack as he walked her direction. "Is that what you were looking for?" he asked. She smiled at the sight of her clothes. "Yes. Thank you." She said sweetly as she stepped around him and reached for the clothes.

As she reached over his hand came in contact with her arm and he brushed his fingertips from her wrist up to her shoulder. He let his hand rest on her waist and she felt his breath on her neck. "Good to see you got your rest." she said as his other arm snaked its way around her and he pulled her backwards into him.

Her eyes fluttered shut. "Plenty." He whispered. The door opened and her eyes shot open as Jacob strolled in. She twisted free of the embrace and managed to get behind Joker in a like a second. Jacob craned his neck to get a better view and she turned red. "Did you need something?" Joker said with more than average annoyance. "Oh. Devin just called in. He said everything was ready." Jacob said as he straitened his posture a bit. "Fine. Now get out." Joker told him. Jacob looked Ann's way again just before he turned and walked out. Joker angrily went to the door. "I'll see you down stairs." He said just before he vanished and closed the door behind him.

Great. Now I gotta deal with that pervert.

* * *

 

~Joker's POV~

Joker walked up behind Jacob who was seated at the kitchen table talking to one of the other thugs. He stepped forward and stood next to Jacob for a moment. Jacob looked up at him and waited for what he had to say. Joker smiled at him then out of nowhere kicked the chair he was sitting in over. Jacob fell to the floor with a curse and Joker walked to where he had landed.

Jacob hastily scooted backwards as Joker approached until his back was against the kitchen wall. Joker bent down and lifted the man by his collar up the side of the wall until his feet were no longer able to touch the floor. "If you ever do that again" he paused for emphasis. "I'll send you to your grave." He then dropped Jacob and walked out before the stuttering man could form an apology. "Dude. What did you do?" Joker heard the other man in the room say just before he was out of ear shot.

* * *

 

~Ann's POV~

She had just finished getting dressed and drying her hair. She had to force herself to open the door and walk down the hallway that led to the stairs. She really didn't want to go down stairs because of the way Jacob had looked at her. She had a good mind to introduce him to her fist, but she was more embarrassed than anything. No one had ever seen her that naked before except Joker. She walked down the stairs of the decent sized house looking around. It was really a lot nicer than you would expect the Joker's hide out to be. She heard conversation coming from the kitchen. Before she got to the door way however, she heard something interesting. So she stopped and listened before I entered. "- and he flipped out. I don't know what the hell Jacob did to piss him off, but I hope he don't do it again. He might end up dead." Ann smiled.

Joker must have given him what for.

Ann walked in and saw a guy she didn't recognize and one of the guys that had been giving her shit about her sex life the night before.

Oh yeah. That's a whole lot better. Well at least he hasn't seen me practically naked.

"Hey. There's the 'death stalker'. Maybe you'd know why J's pissed off at Jacob?" The guy at the table said. Ann realized that he was the one that had called her 'death stalker' the night before. She smiled at the nick name, even though the meaning behind it was sarcastic. "He tried to peep at me earlier." Ann told him.

"Oh! Well hell, if you was my girl, I'd be pissed too." He said. "What's your name again?" Ann asked a bit belatedly. "Justin. You go by Shadow, right?" He asked. Ann nodded as she took a seat at the table. "Dude, you must be something to catch J's attention the way you have. I've never seen him treat 'anybody' the way he treats you." He told her. She smiled.

"Yeah, apparently he finds me fascinating." She said in response. "Man, don't catch her when she's pissed off though. She knocked my ass out flat. Didn't even see it coming." The other guy, whom she recognized as the guy she knocked out in the ally, told Justin. Ann laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was having a really bad day." She told him. "Shit. You can say that again. I had the worst damn head ache." He said in laughter. "Well hell. You must be as good as Joker then." He asked. Ann shook her head. "Naw. I'm nowhere near as good as he is. He's a lot stronger and faster than I am." She told them. Ann suddenly got a weird feeling, like there were eyes on her back. From the silence she was guessing it was Jacob.

If he touches me I swear I'm goinna lay his ass out.

Ann acted like she hadn't noticed his presence as she stood up and went to the fridge to look for something to drink. It was really just a reason to get on her feet so she had better balance. Just as she was about to open the fridge she felt a hand on her shoulder. She whirled and tried to kick the person in the side of the head. They managed to duck just in time so she used het momentum to turn the missed kick into a sweep which the person jumped to avoid. It was only then that she realized it was Joker.

"Well, your on edge today." He commented with a smirk spread across his face. "Jesus, I thought you were Jacob." She told him as she smacked him lightly in the arm for sneaking up on her. "Fuck Chris. Now I know what you mean. She's damn near deadly." Justin said from across the room. "I'm not kiddin. That shit hurts. I know first hand." The guy that Ann now knew as Chris said. She blushed lightly. She wasn't used to being flattered so much by so many people.

"So J, what's your relationship with this little lady?" Justin asked. Joker smiled sadistically. "She's my sex slave. Isn't she cute?" He said as he turned to look at Ann for emphasis. Her face turned as red as humanly possible. Joker had the most amused smile on his face as he looked at her.

She thought of a comeback. "Slave? Last I checked you were the one pleasuring me." She said. Chris and Justin 'oohed'. Joker raised his eyebrows. "Well, were goinna have to do something about that, aren't we." He said as he slid his arms around her and grabbed her ass while cornering her against the fridge. Chris and Justin made hasty excuses while walking out in a hurry. Ann glared at Joker. "Sex slave? You jerk." She said in faked annoyance. He just smiled at her and shrugged then bent down to kiss her. A moment after he started kissing her his grip on her butt tightened and he pulled her against him harder. At that moment however, she heard foot steps enter the room. Joker and Ann broke the kiss and they both turned their heads to look at the intruder. It was time for Ann to turn red again when she saw Jacob standing in the doorway. He was checking her out again.

Ugh. Does he have no dignity?

Ann was a split second away from giving him a piece of her mind when Joker broke her destructive train of thought. "I hope you don't need a second warning." Joker growled in annoyance. Jacob looked back to Joker. "Well, I was goinna get a drink, but someone's in my way." He explained with a bit of sarcasm. "Go thirsty." Joker said. Jacob scoffed and walked out. "Just for the record, I don't like him." Ann told Joker. "I think it's time we go." He said to her as he released her and began to walk to the door. "And where are we going?" she asked as she followed him out of the kitchen.

* * *

 

Two hours later Ann was supervising a group of Joker's henchmen as they placed 55 gallon drums filled with explosives in the bottom of one of the two trolley ships that the city owned. The ships were used for recreational crossing from one side of the cities river to the other, but obviously, Joker had other plans for them. And like usual, Ann had absolutely no idea what they were. She was sitting on one of the barrels nearest the door as she watched the henchmen carry in the drums to fill the room while one guy wired them all up. There was a loud scraping noise as one of the henchmen closest to her banged the drum he was carrying against the wall. "Hey. Careful with that. Do ya wanna go boom?" She asked in mild annoyance. The goon mumbled an apology and scurried off to get another load. She rolled her eyes.

He just 'had' to stick me with some bs like this.

**Think about it. Not many of his people are very smart. He needed you here.**

Ya. He takes the smartest people with him while I get to babysit.

It was getting close to 10am when they finally left the shipyard where the city kept the trolley ships. They had been in there for nearly an hour. She wasn't in any hurry to leave. It was Sunday and the ships didn't run today, so no one would even be here till the morning. It made her suspicious as to what exactly Joker had planned to use them for. They met up with the other small group that had been tending the other boat and headed to the building that Joker had specified. It was close to the river so Ann assumed it was going to fit in Jokers plan somehow. It was only two stories. A decent sized car port took up part of the ground level. Most of the other buildings near it were only a few stories higher except one. Right across the street was a dilapidated looking tall building that looked like it had been abandoned for some time.

Ann was supposed to wait in the warehouse but her annoyance with Joker was fueling her rebellious attitude. Besides that, she was hungry. She hadn't brought anything with her in case they were caught. She didn't want the police knowing who she was. So she had no choice but to go back to her apartment in search of food. No one seemed to notice as she walked out of the building and headed towards the nearest subway station that would take her across the city. A full half hour later Ann walked into her apartment and flicked on the tv. She wasn't planning on staying long enough to watch anything. It was just calming to hear it in the back ground. She went to the fridge and dug out some lunch meat and began to make a few sandwiches. She sat down in her spot on the couch and began to eat one of the sandwiches she had made. Her attention landed on the tv. It was some interview. The one being interviewed was saying that he knew the true identity of batman. Ann rolled her eyes.

Just some idiot looking for five minutes of fame.

She was halfway through the sandwich when a phone call came through on the tv show. Her mouth dropped open as Joker threatened to blow up a hospital if the man wasn't dead in an hour. The half chewed food almost fell out of her mouth and she was jolted back to reality as her phone rang. She hastily swallowed her food and answered without thinking. "He's goinna do what?" Misa's shocked question blared in Ann's ear. "Apparently he's going to blow up a hospital." Ann mumbled back at her. "Well is he going to get all the people out? Kid nap them? Or just let them die? What's he doing?" she screamed at Ann. Ann sighed.

"I don't know. You really think he tells me 'everything'? Look, he probably won't kill the patients. It wouldn't be any fun. No one could put up a fight. He has some kind of hidden motive behind it. So stop freaking out." Ann's eyes widened. She had just figured it out. "Misa! What hospital is Harvey Dent in?" "Umm. Gotham General. Why?" She asked. "Nevermind. Just stay home and don't do anything." Ann told her as she hung up and ran out the door.

Gotham General was over half way across the city. If she hurried she would have just enough time to get there.

This doesn't make any sense. How would he know if that man had died or not?

**I don't think he cares if the guy lives or dies.**

He was goinna blow up the hospital anyway. He just needed a public excuse. Gotham General is the biggest hospital in the city. So the police will probably evacuate the building just in case. That would create just enough chaos to allow Joker to slip in and do what he needs to do.

**So what does he need to do?**

I'll bet it's got something to do with Harvey Dent.

Ann finally reached the perimeter of Gotham General. She was right. The police were still busy evacuating the last of the patients. There were school busses carting people off to other hospitals. Ann looked at her watch. It was 11:53am. She resigned herself to staying outside the perimeter. She definitely didn't want to be in there when it exploded. Ann picked a spot that had a view of both the front and side exits. No one would think to look there in all the craziness.

The busses were all gone except one that was waiting outside the main entrance. She figured that it must be Joker's escape route. It was 11:57 when she saw movement at the side door. She pressed herself against the wall of the building on the other side of the street and watched as Harvey Dent emerged and walked hastily away from the hospital. He twisted in place and looked back at the hospital for and instant and her eyes widened significantly. The whole left side of his face was burnt so badly you could see the bone in some places. He continued walking and Ann watched until he was out of sight. She returned her attention to the hospital as a series of loud booms erupted from inside. She looked to the bus just in time to see Joker in a nurses outfit jump in the back of the bus just before it took off. Ann laughed at the sight of Joker dressed as a nurse as the building collapsed. She heard sirens and decided that it was time to leave. She took a back ally and headed back for the building that she was supposed to be waiting at.

It only took about 20 minutes for her to reach the building on foot. As she entered through the door almost every gun imaginable pointed at her. She ignored the henchmen that were aiming at her and walked to the stairs and leaned against the wall on the third step. The men all relaxed and continued what they had been doing. They were blindfolding and gagging hospital doctors that they had apparently kidnapped and lining them against the wall. As she watched she wondered where Joker was.

He must be changing out of his dress.

Ann snickered. Suddenly two arms draped over her shoulders. "And where have you been?" Joker's rough voice echoed in her ear. "I was hungry. So I went home and found food." She told him with humor in her words. He stepped around her and eyed her up and down. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Might I say, you look marvelous in white-" She cut herself off in a fit of laughter and leaned her head against the wall. Joker narrowed his eyes. Ann was still laughing. "Devin!" Joker yelled. Devin nearly tripped over himself as he scrambled to where they stood. Well, where Joker stood. Ann was bent over holding her stomach laughing.

"You were supposed to make sure she stayed here." Joker said in an annoyed tone of voice. Devin stuttered trying to form an apology. Ann finally caught my breath. "Its not his fault you didn't keep me entertained and fed. I snuck out for food and look where I ended up. Gawd. I should have taken a picture." She burst out in laughter again. Devin looked confused. The two of them were standing side by side watching her. Devin was astonished and Joker had the most horrible look of annoyance on his face.

"This is why you were supposed to watch her. She'll never leave it alone now." Joker said in an exasperated tone. "I don't know what your talking about. Leave what alone?" Devin asked in a mild stupor. Joker rolled his eyes. "Just forget it." He said as he picked Ann up and threw her over his shoulder, much to her protest, and carried her to the beat up old car that she assumed he was using. He then drove them to Ann's apartment. As soon as they got there Ann was thrown onto the couch and Joker stood over her.

She pushed herself to lean on her elbows and glared up at him. "What was that for?" She asked in an annoyed tone. He sat next to her on the couch and she sighed in annoyance at his silence and leaned back so her head was in his lap. She knew that was what he was wanting when he started idly playing with her hair as he stared off in space. After a few minutes of silence he spoke. "I want you and Devin to stay here." He told her. Ann's body shot into an upright position. "No. No way. I'm not sitting on the sidelines for this one." She told him. He looked at her seriously. "I may not make it out. I don't want you to be captured too. Just stay at the apartment." He told her. "Not goinna happen." she said as she reluctantly laid back down.

About half an hour later there was a knock at the door. Ann was still sprawled out on the couch with her head in Joker's lap. Joker reached over and opened the door while he slid his gun out of his coat that was lying over the arm of the couch. The door swung open and there was an empty silence. "Hello?" Ann heard someone call from the other side of the door way. It took her a moment to place the voice, but after a second she realized that it was the same man from the laundry matt. The man poked his head around the corner after a minute passed. His face came into contact with the end of Joker's gun and his eyes got really big.

Ann gave the man an upside down smile from her place in Joker's lap. Joker motioned for him to step all the way inside. The man raised his hands and stepped through the open door then kicked it closed. The man addressed Ann while keeping a close eye on Joker. "I know what you might think, but I-" Joker cut him off. "You have ten seconds to explain yourself. Ten, nine…" The man panicked. "I came to offer my services." He slurred out in a fast stream. "eight, seven…." Joker pulled back the hammer on the gun. "I could be like a double agent! I could help you out!" The man yelled in fright. "six, five, four…." Joker continued and raised his eyebrows slightly. "Oh Christ. Just shoot him." Ann said and crossed her arms. Joker smiled maliciously. The man literally freaked out. "No! No don't kill me! I work for Maroni! But I could work for you first! I'll be on your side!" He screamed and backed against the wall with his hands in front of him. Joker slowly withdrew the gun and looked at him expectantly. "You better have some good dirt." The man slowly relaxed his hands and sighed.

Ugh. He shoulda shot him.

**Hush**

The man looked at Ann. "I lied when I said he wasn't interest in you. He wants Joker dead, but he wants you more. Not dead though." Ann was starting to get an understanding of what was going on and a look of disgust spread over her face. "You mean he wants me as a lover? Ick that's disgusting!" She shouted at the man. "No you have it wrong. He wants you as a slave. He has a sex trafficking ring...." Her look of disgust turned to blind rage. She jumped off the couch and stormed to the door intent on chasing down Maroni and making him eat pavement. The look on the man's face grew scared again when she leapt off the couch. But her anger wasn't directed at him. She flung the door open just in time to have Joker catch her by the wrist. "Where do you thing your going?" He asked her in a calm voice.

"Where do you think? Ima go introduce that mother fucker to the bottom of my foot! He's goinna 'wish' Id kill him like I did his pig faced brother!" she yelled and tried to pull away from Joker. It didn't do any good. He pulled and spun her back around into his arms and locked her in place. She growled in frustration and tried to struggle free. Ann was in a blind rage. Her only thoughts were about killing Maroni in the most brutal way possible.

"Stop it. Your being ridiculous." Joker said in her ear. He held her by the shoulders at arms length and looked her in the eyes. "Maroni will get what he deserves. But as for right now, I still need him alive." Ann glared at him and she felt something snap. "You still need him? For what? I still don't even know what the hell your trying to accomplish! You go and come up with all these damn ideas and at the last damn minute I get the 411! Either your just out for brutal fun or you actually have a reason! A means to an end maybe?" Joker was taken back a bit at her angry outburst. He stared at her for a moment then looked over his shoulder at the turn coat who Ann only now remembered was there. "Get out." Joker's voice was deadly. The man turned white as a sheet and hastily side stepped around them and disappeared through the open door.

Joker released her and shut the door. Ann anxiously waited for an explanation as he paced back and forth a few times. Apparently she had been right about there being a means to an end. He was obviously trying to find an answer to a deeper question than she had intended. He suddenly looked at her. "This story is not mine to tell." He said in a slightly sympathetic but annoyed tone. Ann slowly sat down on the couch. He put his hands on the coffee table in front of her and looked at her seriously. "and it involves you a lot more than you think." He said. His voice was now fully sympathetic. Her thoughts suddenly turned to her father and how they had seemed to know each other. "Ann." Her attention snapped back to Joker at the tone in which he said her name. "I can't give you the answers to your questions until the man who owns this story is dead."


	22. Chapter 22

Ann's face took on a morbid expression. "My father. I knew there was a connection." Joker looked down at her. In his face there was sadness. Sadness for her. "I'm sorry. It's time for me to go." He said as he kissed her forehead and opened the door. "Stay here." He told her as he walked out and closed the door behind him. Ann let gravity carry her downward and she fell over on the couch. She was in total shock. She wasn't thinking. She just laid there for the longest time. Someone called the house phone several times. When she didn't answer her cell rang. She let it go un answered as well.

It was dark outside when there was a knock at the door. Ann was fully intent on ignoring that too, but the person decided to come in anyways. It was Misa. She took one look at Ann and sighed. "What has he done now?" She asked. Ann shook her head. "It's not his fault." she mumbled.

"What, did he dump you?" Ann glared at her. "Of course not." she said. Misa sat next to Ann on the couch. "So what's wrong?" She asked. Ann let it all spill over. "Well for one I cant know his story, which somehow has a lot to do with me, until my father dies. And two his dumb ass is goinna get caught tonight trying to attain some God forsaken cause that I cant know until I know his story and I'm not even allowed to go because he doesn't want me to get caught too and if he gets caught then I can never know his story even IF the circumstances all fit for him!" Ann blurted. She sat and thought about it for a minute.

"C'mon Ann. You've never been the type of person to just take orders. Who cares if he told you to stay here? Seems like what you need to do is go keep his ass from getting thrown in Arkham and then go visit your father. And this time, get some answers from him." She said. Ann sat up on the couch.

"Oh my God Misa. Your right. What the hell is wrong with me?" Ann said as she jumped up. She was about to run out the door when Misa grabbed her by the arm. "Wait. Joker announced over the news that the city belonged to him and that anyone still inside by tonight played by his rules. He said that the tunnels and bridge were dangerous." Ann thought for a second. "No. It's a bluff. He wants the city to use the boats. That's why!" Ann yelled. "Stay here. Don't leave for anything." Ann told her and ran out the door. "Be careful!" Misa yelled after her.

45 minutes later Ann arrived at the small building from before. It had taken her longer to get there than before because she went by foot instead of taking the trains. They were probably packed anyways. Upon inspecting the building Ann discovered that it was deserted. She sighed in annoyance and looked around.

Damn. I was sure this place had something to do with it. The damn boat loading area is only a few blocks away.

**He wouldn't be able to see it from here.**

Her eyes widened in realization as she looked up at the tall deserted building next door.

He can from up there.

**You cant let anyone see you come in.**

Why not?

**He'll only tie you up and everyone will assume you're a hostage too.**

Damn it! Your right. I'm goinna have to sneak in. He's probably at the friggin top floor too. Grrr.

The yelling from the boat docking area was getting louder so Ann was going to assume that the boats were about to leave. Resolved to hurry she stepped inside the door of the building as quietly as possible and looked around. There was a staircase that looked like it went all the way up. The whole ground floor was deserted. It was likely that most of the lower floors would be. But once she got to the floors that were occupied there was sure to be someone watching the stair well. There was an elevator to the left of the huge spiraling staircase. That was out. They'd definitely be watching that way.

"Hmmm." Ann mumbled quietly as an idea crossed her mind.

**I don't like that idea!**

Don't be such a child. We'll make it.

Ann walked to the elevator and looked. The old fashioned hand on the half circle told her that the elevator was on this floor. "Perfect." she said as she hit the button that would make the doors open. So long as she didn't hit a floor button the elevator wouldn't move. So no one would know she was there. There were no cameras in the elevator so she was safe there. She looked at the ceiling. Sure enough there was a small trap door.

**You need a screw driver**.

No problem.

Ann reached in the pocket of her blazer and pulled out a swiss army knife. Her father had given it to her when she was a kid. She always kept it on her. She pulled open the screwdriver part and stopped.

New problem. I'm not tall enough to reach it.

**God. This is ridiculous. You don't even have a plan.**

Shaddup! I think I saw a crate or something in the lobby.

Ann reopened the doors and found a crate looking box. She brought it back to the elevator then continued with opening the trap door. After only a few minutes it swung open and almost hit her in the face. Ann resisted the urge to curse at it and grabbed the sides of the opening and lifted herself through. She had made sure to bring the small screws with her so when she pulled the trap door back up she could screw it back in place from the other side. It was slightly tricky, but she managed. After that she proceeded to look up and around. Sure enough, there were ventilation shafts in the walls above every floor.

**Still don't like this idea.**

Shhh. Damn, I should have brought some gloves or something.

She reached up and grabbed hold of one of the cables that carried the elevator up and down. With a sigh to steady her nerves, she began to climb. It wasn't so bad at first. All she had to do was keep from looking down. But the further up she went the more her hands began to burn from the friction. She ground her teeth and kept going. Out of sheer will power she managed to make it to the top.

There was a whole room where the cables connected to a powerful wench. The wench was suspended on a thick beam that stretched over the middle of the opening in the floor of the room. Ann hastily pulled herself up onto the beam and sat there for a long few minutes. After she collected herself she scooted to the edge of the big hole and stood at the edge looking down.

**Do not ever do that again.**

Your being such a baby. That wasn't so bad.

There was a metal door on the other side of the room. It was locked, but thankfully it was made where you could unlock it from the inside.

Ann opened the metal door and looked around. She walked around the big metal room that housed the elevator shaft and on the other side was a second door. Ann opened it as quietly as she could manage and slipped inside. The door led to a narrow staircase that descended to the top floor of the building. At the bottom was another door. This one was made of wood instead of metal. She cracked the door open slowly and looked out as a slight breeze hit her in the face. The whole floor looked like one large room. The floor was cement and support beams were frequent every 8 feet or so. Piles of junk were scattered all over the place. Ann looked around for Joker. Sure enough, he was there at the window overlooking the scene that was unfolding out over the water. Unfortunately, he was also surrounded by 3 mean looking Rottweiler's.

If even one of those damn dogs picks up my scent I'm screwed.

**Where is the breeze coming from?**

I cant find out unless I open the door further.

**Why not?**

Because it could be a low pressure zone from when I opened the door. There may not even be a breeze at all.

**Great**.

She slowly pushed the door further open and prayed that it didn't make a noise. There was definitely a breeze. It was blowing from an open space in the window to the left of Joker that she hadn't noticed before.

**Good call Einstein.**

Not helping.

So there was no way the dogs could smell her. Now she just had to make sure they didn't hear her. Ann slowly left the protection of the door and pushed it till it was barely open. She then quietly made her way to a pile of crates and boxes that gave her a perfect view of both Joker and the boats below. She looked at her watch. It was now 11:45pm. Joker looked at his watch just after she looked at hers, which it was kind of creepy.

The boats were half way across the river when suddenly they both came to a stop and the lights on them flickered. Ann could almost see the smile on Joker's face as he pulled out a walkie talkie and explained the rules of his 'game'. She assumed that the walkie talkie was wired to both the boats. He explained that each boat had a detonator that would blow up the other boat. If one boat pushed the button then he would let that boat live. If neither pushed it then he blew them all up. It was genius. The plan was to force someone to kill someone else. But why? What was the point? She had no idea. The whole damn thing couldn't be centered around batman. He wasn't that cliché. The sound of fighting came from the stair well. Joker glanced over at it, then returned his attention to the boats below. Ann sat back, resigned to wait awhile.

After a few minutes a helicopter winded its way around the building. She sat upright. She was eager for this show to get started so she could get on with saving his ass. There was a sudden vibrating sound and she nearly jumped out of her skin. It was her cell phone. It only lasted for a second. That told her it was a txt. She silently cursed whoever had been dumb enough to txt her and held her breath. All three dogs were looking directly at her. Joker was only looking in her general direction. She was obscured by the darkness though, so he couldn't see her. The dogs, however, see movement. So if she were to move, they would see her.

Ann continued to hold her breath and she kept her body absolutely still. Joker frowned and turned his attention away from her and back to the boats on the water. After a few moments the dogs also lost interest and looked elsewhere. Ann allowed herself to breath again and took out her phone. She covered it with her coat and looked at the txt message. It was Misa. She had sent her an update on what was going on in the building. It was all over the news. Batman and a swat team were in the building but batman was fighting with the swat team. Ann frowned and wondered what the heck was going on. She told Misa to keep her updated then put the phone in her inside pocked so that she could see it light up but no one else could. Suddenly one of the dogs growled and she froze.

Shit.

Joker turned his attention to where the dog was looking. But it wasn't looking at Ann. Ann slowly turned her head to see batman standing slightly behind her and to her left.

Time for the shit storm to start.

"Ah, you made it. I'm so thrilled!" Joker said enthusiastically. Ann couldn't hear batman's reply. It was muffled by the dog's growling at him. "Go get em." Joker told the dogs. They instantly attacked batman. Joker hesitated as the dogs latched on to batman's legs and he threw one over the edge of the stair well. Ann's phone buzzed again. This time Joker looked strait at her and her face went blank. He had obviously seen her. He smiled maliciously down at her in her hiding spot and was about to say something when his attention snapped back to batman. The two remaining dogs had taken him to the ground and he was struggling to get them off. Joker gave Ann a look that said they were going to talk later then ran over to batman and started wailing on him as the dogs kept him pinned to the floor.

Ann leaned up on her knees and watched as batman managed to kick Joker away and sent the other two dogs down the stairs. Joker had gotten hold of a 2 foot long metal bar somehow and he used it to bash batman upside the head. Batman blindly swung at Joker and knocked him away. There was a decent sized netting hanging from the wall. Joker yanked it down and threw it over batman, who was still disoriented, and began beating him repeatedly with the pipe. He then backed up and stood behind a support beam while batman threw the netting off and looked around. Joker came out from behind the beam and used the pipe like a baseball bat to hit batman right in the face. Batman stumbled backwards towards the opening that had a bit of floor protruding out a few feet. Joker hit him again and batman fell onto his back on the narrow patch of flooring. Joker used the pipe to knock away a small wooden block that had been holding up a bar which now came down to hold batman in place.

They were talking, but Ann couldn't make out any of it. She stood up and got a little closer so she could hear what was being said. "-your alone." Batman told Joker. Joker threw the pipe back into the building and it almost hit Ann in the feet. She managed to hop over it though. "I may be alone, but not nearly the way you think. You have no idea how wrong you really are. None of this was about you." Joker told him as he pulled out the remote that would blow up the two ships in the harbor.

Just before Joker could push the button batman hit some switch on his wrist and blades flung out and hit Joker in the arm. The remote clattered to the floor at Ann's feet. Joker was now off balance and Batman twisted so that Joker fell head first over the edge. Ann screamed but covered her mouth. Batman instantly leaned over and shot some kind of line after Joker. He then pulled him back up to eye level and let him hang while he tied off the rope. Ann sighed in relief. Her eyes landed on the remote at her feet. She bent down to pick it up. "You just couldn't let me go. Could you." Joker said. It wasn't a question. "Ya know, i feel like you and I are destined to do this forever." Ann spaced out as she looked at the remote. It was like he was talking directly to her. His words hit her hard. Joker's maniacal laughter snapped her out of her trance. "Madness, as you know, is a lot like gravity. All it takes is a little push." His laughter doubled up.

Ann snuck back to her hiding spot as batman leapt over the edge of the building and 5 swat team members filed up the stairs. Ann waited for them to find Joker who was still laughing. When they all had their backs to her she walked behind them and hit the first upside the head. He let out a yell just before falling to the floor unconscious.

They never stood a chance. The lot of them scrambled away from her and the two nearest Joker got knocked over the edge. The other two were unconscious in a matter of seconds. Ann dragged the three that were still alive away from the edge and took their place on the ledge in front of Joker. Joker had his arms folded. He smiled a wicked smile at her as she extended her hand. He took her hand and let her pull him to safety. When he was over the floor she cut the rope and he fell on top of her. She hadn't calculated that in her plan. That wicked smile of his stayed on his face. "I knew you'd show up. You just couldn't stay away." He said. Her mind flashed back to earlier.

~"You just couldn't let me go. Could you."~

Ann smiled. "Nope. I just couldn't let you go." She told him. His smile darkened. Suddenly there was scuffling in the stair well. It was a second swat team. Ann pushed Joker off her. "Follow me. Hurry." She whispered. She took him by the hand and led him to the door that led to the roof.

Once they were on the roof she led him to the elevator shaft that she had ascended earlier. By now they were safe from being caught, at least for awhile. Joker looked over the edge of the shaft. "You came through here?" He asked in slight amazement. "Yes." she said and glared at him. "I just figured you'd sneak up the stairs." He told her. Her glare deepened. "That was my original plan, but see, if I had done that then I'd never have been able to find a way to save your ass." She shot back at him.

"Well then, after you miss expert." He said as he motioned for her to lead the way. Ann looked over the edge. She couldn't even see the bottom. "What's wrong love?" Joker asked sarcastically. She glared at him. "Not a damn thing." Her confident attitude returned and was being fueled by his sarcasm. Ann looked back over the edge at the cable that lead down into the darkness and jumped over. The instant her feet left the floor Joker's eyes shot open and he scrambled to catch her. Ann caught herself by grabbing the beam that the cord connected to. Joker, however lost his footing in his blind attempt to rescue her and fell over the edge. Ann managed to catch his hand at the last second. Instantly she almost let go of the beam from the strain, but she managed to hold on. "Looks like I'm 2 for 2." She said after he had a firm hold on the cable below her. He looked up at her and gave her a malicious smile again. "Don't let it happen too often. I may come to expect it." He told her just before he began to descent. Ann smiled and followed.

It took awhile, but they finally made it to the bottom. Ann's hands were officially blistered and bloody from having to do it twice. They had gotten lucky though. One of the swat teams had used the elevator to go up to the 3rd level. So all they had to do was push the button and ride the rest of the way down. Joker had lowered her into the elevator so she could push the button then he raised her back up.

When the doors opened she stuck my head down and looked around. "It's clear." she told him and jumped down. Joker followed. The police were everywhere. "Maybe we should stay on top of the elevator." Joker said. "Oh that's right." Ann said and tossed him the remote detonator that she had hidden in her coat. He looked at it in astonishment then slowly looked back at her and smiled as he turned the key and pushed the button. There was a loud explosion off in the distance and the police freaked out and ran off in the direction of the boats in the harbor. Joker and Ann hastily left the building.

They made it to the corner of the 2 story building that had been used for the preparations. Ann stopped. Joker looked back at her. "So what would you have done if I hadn't shown up?" Ann asked out of mild curiosity. He thought for a minute. "I guess I would have ended up in the asylum or prison." He told her. Ann nearly fell over in shock. "You mean to tell me that you knew you'd probably get caught and you didn't care?" She yelled. "Oh I care, believe me. Arkham isn't a nice place." Ann was about to give him a piece of her mind when she heard someone yell behind them. Joker and Ann both turned to see a police man running after them. "Ah, it's no problem. He can't take us alone." Ann said. Just then batman rounded the corner and upon seeing them he began running their direction as well. "That 'is' a problem, love." Joker said and they looked at each other for a moment before they both broke out in a full on run.

"This is all your fault!" Ann yelled at him as they came round a corner. "My fault? If you hadn't stopped we'd be in the clear by now." He told her. Batman was hot on their heels. "You're the one that wanted to try and blow up a damn boat!" Ann yelled back. "Try? I succeeded." He said back. "Only because of me!"

This seems all too familiar.

**At least your not alone this time.**

Joker grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a doorway just after they turned another corner. The building was made of brick and the door was sunk into the wall by a good three feet. Joker ducked down and pulled Ann with him.

"What the hell are you doing?" She whispered. He just shhhhed her. A few seconds later Batman ran by and didn't even see them. The cop was nowhere to be seen. Joker waited awhile then he led her back into the ally and they began their long trek back to her apartment. "How did you do that?" she asked him. He laughed. "He doesn't have a very wide area of vision. His mask prevents him from using his peripheral vision, and he was obviously intent on catching us, so he wouldn't be looking at the ground when we were supposed to be ahead of him."

It was her turn to laugh. "I'll remember that." she said. The rest of the walk home was uneventful. Once back to her apartment she went strait to the bedroom and collapsed face first on her bed. Joker did something similar. "So when did you meet 'the bat'?" He asked after a moment. Ann lifted her head and looked at him. "Oh yeah. I forgot to tell you. It was the night you got arrested on purpose. I stayed behind and watched. After they took you off he spotted me at the corner and I had to avoid him. He almost got me to." She told him. "How did you get away?" Joker asked. She laughed. "I slipped through a small bathroom window that he couldn't fit through." He laughed along with her. She paused.

"Wait, how'd you know about that?" She asked him. He looked at her like he was wondering if she was ok. "You were standing right behind him. You didn't hear him ask about you?" Her eyes widened. "No, I didn't. I couldn't hear anything but you." She told him. "Anything but me?" He asked. Ann sighed. "My head kept repeating what you said. About me not being able to let you go." She said. He smiled for a moment and Ann began to wonder what he was thinking.

Ann rolled over and stared at the ceiling as her thoughts turned to her father. "I'm leaving town for a few days." she told him. He didn't look at her. "Going to see your father?" He asked. She nodded. Ann knew he knew the answer already. "It may be a good idea for you to lay low for awhile." Ann murmured. "I have things to do here." He told her. Ann shrugged feeling tired let herself fall asleep without even undressing.


	23. Chapter 23

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next morning Ann awoke with light pouring in on her face. She squinted and made herself sit upright. After her eyes adjusted she looked around. Joker was gone. In his place was a note and a small felt box. Ann reached over and opened the note.

Never forget. I'll always come for you.

-J

The simplicity of the note sent chills up her spine. She opened the box. Inside was a simple silver bracelet with a silver rectangle plate in the center and gold filigree around the edges. In gold lettering it said 'Never Forget'. On the back of the plate was the single letter 'J' etched in gold. Ann smiled and clipped the bracelet on her wrist.

* * *

 

Eight hours later Ann threw open the door of the hotel room and threw her light bag onto the bed. She shut the door and locked it before collapsing on the bed herself.

God. What a damn day.

Rewind seven hours.-

~"Damn it! I don't need a fucking baby sitter! I'm going alone!"~

"I can't believe they all insisted someone go with me." She mumbled to herself. Joker had absolutely insisted that Devin go with her. Ann told him ok just so he'd leave her alone. Devin was later tied up in the closet screaming profanity under a gag of duck tape.

I'm sure someone's found him by now.

She'd been ignoring frantic phone calls from Misa all day since. At least Ashley was slightly calmer than Misa had been. Her phone rang for the billionth time that day. Ann almost didn't even look at it. She did however, and answered it when she saw it was one of Joker's numbers. "I expected nothing less." Came his smooth voice from the other end. Ann smiled. "I guess that means you found him." she said with mild amusement. "Your friends aren't happy with you." He told her. Ann laughed. "Are they ever?" She said a moment before she caught herself playing with the bracelet he had left for her that morning.

"Thank you for the present by the way." She said sweetly. She could hear the smirk when he voiced his reply "It's only a reminder. Be safe love." He said before the line went dead. Ann wasn't sure if she should be pleased or annoyed. Both feelings assaulted her at once. He had a funny way of doing that to her. Ann decided to put it out of her head as she got ready for bed and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

 

The next day Ann felt an unusual urgency to get where she was going. She was eager to learn what this unyielding secret was between the Joker and her father. But this wasn't the reason for her urgency. For some reason she wanted to get there before something bad happened and Joker's words about her father's death didn't seem to help any. By the time she reached the estate she was in a sheer state of panic, even though she was determined not to let it show.

As she exited her car and began her ascent up the stairs of the overly large house, it began to rain. But before she could reach the top, the doors opened before her. Her grandmother emerged in all black followed by Johnson who was also in black. And behind them stood a figure that she hadn't seen since she was 12 years old. "Mother?" she asked in a bit of bewilderment. She hadn't been back since her grandfather, whom Ann now called father, re-married. "Well look who showed up. Come along. You'll want to be there." Her grand mother interrupted her shocked state. "Be where?" she asked in confusion. "The funeral."

For the first time since Ann first considered herself an adult, she began to cry. And the rain poured.

* * *

 

The next day Ann was sitting in the corner of a small office room that was crowded with people. Apparently they were all people who were mentioned in her father's will. She'd heard no word from Joker and her mother hadn't even approached her once. Ann just sat there and stared out the window at the rain that never seemed to stop. There was suddenly a hand on her shoulder and she nearly lashed out at who ever it was. Before she had the chance, however, her mother sat down next to her. Her mere presence was almost enough to make Ann break down. She didn't know weather she wanted to hug her or scream at her and demand where she had been.

"I know you probably hate me for not being there. I just want you to know that I'm sorry, and I'm very proud of the woman you've become." She said to Ann. Ann scoffed. "How can you be proud of a person you don't even know?" Ann looked back out the window. She sighed. "There's no good reason or explanation for leaving you with my father all those years. I wanted to be there. I really did." She told Ann. The waiver in her voice told Ann that she was being genuine.

"Then why weren't you?" Ann asked without looking at her. "It's best if I told you later." She said. Ann turned to look at her. For the first time she actually looked at her. She was a bit shorter than Ann with sleek looking long black hair. He face was fair with a hint of slight masculinity in her jaw like Ann's. Her eyes were a slightly lighter shade of green than Ann's and Ann could tell she had some muscle to her. When she looked at her Ann had been expecting to see the puffy red signs of tears under her eyes, but they were clear. She hadn't been crying. "You attend the funeral of your father and shed no tears?" Ann asked out of mild curiosity. "It's hard to morn the man who took my child." She mumbled. Ann's mouth dropped for a brief moment and she was about to yell about her being the one who left when a tired looking old man at the front of the room cleared his throat.

"Thank you all for your patience. Now I'll get right to the point." He sat down at the desk that was at the front of the room. "Your all here because of the mention of you in the dearly departed's will. I will warn you, there is some slight profanity, and I apologize, but I am obligated by law to read it word for word." He cleared his throat a second time.

"I, Marvin Everette Giovanni being of sound mind and body do write this final will and testimate." Ann looked across the room at her grandmother, who had an extremely pleased look on her face and Ann felt my distain for the entire world grow a bit darker. "It is my distinct belief that those in this world who work towards their own accomplishments and desires alone should get exactly what they deserve. Every action a reaction and so on. To make the matter of my death a simple one I will start with the people whom I deem to be the least important." Ann's eyes widened a bit at the irony of how he had worded this whole thing. Thus came the boring and irrelevant list of people in the room whom he had almost no connection to. He picked apart each and every one, exposing the flaws in their morality and personality and rarely left any of them anything. He left one particularly vain man a mirror 'so that he could spend his time trying to make himself more womanly'. Ann laughed at several of them. Each time she was given a glare from the man at the desk and the rest of the room simply stared at her. On both occasions Ann noticed a smile on her mother's lips.

Finally it came down to the immediate family. "To my daughter Debra Ann, I'm sorry for all the hurt between us. If there were any way to make things right again I would have given everything to see it through. To you I leave my savings account of 6.8 million which I started for you when you were first born. Ann's mother's mouth dropped open and her eyes were wide with shock. Ann saw a tear roll down her face before she quickly wiped it away. The entire room gasped in surprise and annoyance, as almost all of them had been shot down and called here just to be ridiculed. "To my wife Barbara Jean. You did a good job of trying to bleed my dry over the years. You caused no end of pain and regret, but I did always like hearing people talk. And believe me, you were good at it. For this small pleasure I leave you two hundred thousand dollars. Just enough to buy yourself some nice house somewhere. Also you will be rationed $300 a month for the rest of your life. Just enough to pay your bills. Any extra spending money will have to be earned by you. So sorry dearest, you deserve to work a little. It would do you some good to chip your nails." At this Ann immediately burst into laughter. The entire room glared at her again and her grandmother was almost in tears. Apparently she hadn't gotten what she expected. Ann kept laughing anyway for a good minute or two.

Only he could make his own death into a comedy.

**Eh. I can think of one other.**

Ok. Him too.

"Last but not least, my Daughter Mary Ann. I always treasured our time together. There are so many things I wish I could have told you. I'm sure your new friend will explain some of it in good time. But don't press him darling. He will reveal the answers you seek eventually. Just keep him alive long enough to do so." By now the entire room was looking at Ann like she was some kind of freak. Her mother, however, had the most horrific look of disbelief written on her face. "As for the house, I leave it to you. I also leave you all of my stock holdings, multiple bank accounts (minus the few that have been set aside), my investments, and research. Also, congratulations Ann, you have just inherited my entire international company and any and all ties and connections that come with it. I have already moved the main branch of the company to Gotham to make it easier for you to manage. You passed the test like your mother never could. Therefore I leave all of this to you. You have the rare insight and open mind to be able to accept and see the world for what it truly is. Your also cunning and extremely smart. I love you with all my heart."

The entire room was in a dead silence as the man at the desk looked up at Ann. "Those were his final words. Congratulations miss Giovanni. You are now a multi billionaire." Ann's eyes were a bit wide and her expression showed mild surprise. She looked up at the man at the desk. "Could I have a copy of that?" She asked with a slight smile on her face. The entire room was suddenly in an uproar.

Ten minutes later Ann walked out the doors of the law firm in Tulsa only to be ambushed by a crowd of reporters asking her all types of questions. After another twenty minutes of trying to make her way through the crowd she ended up screaming that she would sue all of them if they didn't leave her alone. The majority of them left in a hurry and Ann was able to find her way to her car. Once back at the house Ann collapsed on her bed and laid there for a bit. "This is horrible. I'm never going to be able to keep living in my apartment. Those damn reporters will harass me day and night." Ann gasped and shot strait up. "How am I going to see Jak?" She nearly cried a second time that day.

Ann immediately left for Gotham after leaving the house in Johnson's care. Alone. She must have tried to call Joker a billion times that day. She never got an answer. Her grandmother called Ann a billion times. She never got an answer either. Ann didn't stop for a motel. She kept driving without sleep wondering why Joker wasn't answering her and how the hell her grandmother got her phone number.

When she finally made it back to Gotham she went towards her apartment. She drove right past it, however, when she saw a small crowd of reporters waiting for her. She growled in frustration and slammed her palm into the steering wheel. She then tried to call Joker again, and again got no answer. Then she had an idea and called Devin. Devin answered and cursed when he realized it was her.

"Where is he?" She asked him. "Look Ann, I cant tell you. He told me not to." he whispered into the phone. "Why? What's going on? Why wont he answer his phone?" She asked. "I don't know. He's planning something for tonight. Maybe he just doesn't want you to get hurt." He whispered. "Why are you whispering? Is he in the room?" She yelled at him. "Shh! If he knows I'm talking to you he'll get mad!" He whispered in an urgent tone. Her eyes narrowed. "Keep me updated. I wanna know what he's doing tonight and where he will be." She told him. "I can't do that!" He said back.

"If you don't I'll find your mother and tell her what you've 'really' been doing in your free time." Ann threatened. "You couldn't find her. You have no idea who she is and you don't even know my last name." he reasoned. She scoffed. "True. But I do know where you used to work. And all employers keep records of those kind of things. You've seen me in action. Do you really believe that I couldn't get that information?" She heard him growl over the phone. "Fine! I'll call you when I get the chance." He then hung up.

She had nowhere to go since the reporters were camping outside her apartment, so she decided to head to Nightshade Corp, her father's company. Well, it was her company now. She found the address by dialing 411. When they directed her to the receptionist at Nightshade she simply asked for the address.

20 minutes later she walked in the building. It was a huge building that was very tall. As soon as she entered the building she was greeted by a lively and perky woman with short black hair who addressed her as Miss Giovanni. Apparently her father had contacted them and told them what was going to happen. She directed her to an elevator and they rode to the top floor. In the elevator Ann discovered that the building had 30 floors above ground and 5 below. She also discovered that the lady's name was Maria.

After the long elevator ride Maria showed Ann to her new office and told her that all her father's paperwork had already been transferred into the office for her. She also suggested that Ann find herself a qualified secretary and that until she found one she would be filling in as one for Ann. Ann told her to schedule interviews for those that had applied for the position previously. She also asked her for the records of all the major contracts to be made in the previous 6 months and also for all the records of customers that had a long standing with the company. Maria just smiled and told Ann that all the information she needed was on the computer on the desk in front of her. She said that the user name was her complete and full name and the pass word was her social security number. The lady informed her that she could change it once she logged in for the first time. She also told her that she could view all the records on the computer, and schedule tasks and meetings in the task manager and that she would schedule the interviews to begin at 2:00. Maria told her that if she needed anything to call the extension 347 on the phone and left.

Just after Maria left Ann's cell phone rang. It was Devon. "Any new developments?" She asked him. "Be at the police station at midnight." He said just before he hung up. Ann sighed. She was already beginning to feel the weight of not sleeping for two days. Now it looked like she would have to add a third. She tried to call Joker again. Still no luck. Frustrated at the lack of response from Joker and the lack of information from Devon she growled and opened the laptop computer that was sitting in front of her on the desk. She typed in her full name. Mary Ann Miller Giovanni and then her social security number. She then proceeded in changing the user name to Shadow. When it came to the password, she stopped and thought for a minute. It had to be something that no one would guess easily. She looked down at the bracelet on her wrist and smiled. The password was 'never forget'. It made her feel better when she thought of the bracelet that she was wearing. It was like the gift was meant to reassure her that he wouldn't just cast her away. She still couldn't understand why he was being so damn secretive and even refusing to answer the damn phone. Suddenly she had an idea. If she used a phone number that he didn't know he may answer thinking she was someone else. She smiled and began to reach for the phone on her desk, then stopped.

The police could trace the call back to my office. Damn.

**Looks like you need another phone.**

Ann frowned.

What a pain in the ass. I finally find a way to get ahold of him and I cant use it.

**Most people would be happy to become a billionaire over night. But you sit here and complain about it.**

You know I don't give a shit about money. I was perfectly happy BEFORE my father died and left me this damn company and all his damn assets.

**You could use it to you advantage.**

But not until I'm settled in and know the right people.

It was only 10:00 am. So for the next two hours Ann spent her time customizing the computer's settings to her liking. She found a wallpaper with the picture of a samurai fully dressed in blood red armor with a black background that had flames around it. She also customized the screen saver to pop up if the computer went untouched for half a minute and she set it where you had to have the user name and password to open it after the screensaver came on. When she was done messing with the computer's graphics, mouse controls, and protection she started browsing through the files of all the major customers that had continuously bought from the company. She was surprised to discover that the military was one of the biggest contributors. Then she remembered Joker telling her what the company 'really' made. C4. She smiled.

The company also made other things. But their primary focus was C4 and all kinds of up to date military weapons and gear for combat. She was equally surprised to see that Wayne enterprises was the second most frequent customer. When she was half way through looking into it the phone on her desk rang. She picked it up. Maria was on the other end. "Someone here to see you Miss Giovanni." Ann frowned "Who would be here to see me? No one knows I'm here." She said. "Bruce Wayne miss." Ann's eyes got a bit wide. "Tell him I'm not here." She told Maria. "I already did miss. He's still not leaving." Ann rolled her eyes.

How the hell would he know I'm here? He shouldn't even know I exist yet.

"Okay. Tell him to come on up." Ann told her. As soon as she was off the hone Ann shoved her leather blazer into the bottom drawer of her desk and ran her fingers through her hair to make herself more presentable. She had on a black tank top and black pants, so she didn't look very unprofessional. After a minute or two the doors to her large office opened and in strolled the second most famed man in the city. Second only to Joker.

He was wearing a fancy business suit with no tie or jacket. He had his hands tucked casually in his pockets. Ann stood as he approached. "Mr. Wayne. So good of you to visit." She said and extended her hand. He took it and they shook hands. She noticed his hand shake was firm. "Miss Giovanni. I must say, your much more beautiful in person." He said in a lavish tone of voice. "Excuse me?" She asked. "How is it you've seen me before?" He laughed. "Your all over the news." Ann rolled her eyes. "Stupid reporters." She mumbled. Then she berated herself. She was suppose to be being nice and polite.

His eyebrows rose and his smile grew a bit. She ignored it. "Can I ask why you've come to pay me a visit today?" She asked him as she sat back down behind her desk. He sat in one of the two chairs opposite her. "I actually came to invite you to have lunch with me. To discuss business, of course." He amended. "Your father and I had a good relationship, I'd like to have one with you." He told her. She was a bit surprised to say the least.

Ugh! What do I do? I can't say no! He's right here and I'm obviously not doing anything important.

**And you can't very well say you have a boyfriend. What will you say if he asks who it is? Hahaha**

Your not helping!

"I'd be delighted?" she said hesitantly. "Wonderful." He said and stood. Ann stood as well. She wasn't exactly sure on how to go about this. She'd had people ask her out before, but she had never said yes. He extended his hand for her, intent on leading her out of the building. Like she didn't already know the way. A strange sense of comfort washed over her when she realized that Joker had extended his hand for her in the same way multiple times. She hesitated again, but took his hand and he placed it around his upper arm then led her to the elevator. The ride down was uncomfortable. He kept looking at her and she was nervous as hell. She didn't know what to do or how she should act. His constant attention on her wasn't helping any at all.

**You have to remember, he is a professional at this sort of thing. He probably knows all the ins and outs of business, not to mention the women.**

That's right. I have to make sure he doesn't take advantage of me because I know so little about this business.

**What are you going to tell Joker?**

Everything I guess. If he ever answers his damn phone!

**I mean about your 'date'.**

Or for Christ sake. It's not a date. It's lunch to discuss business.

**Riiight. And Joker would think?**

Oh God. He'll be so jealous. I hope he's not having someone follow me. If he's not then I can just leave it out. Like it never happened.

"You seem nervous." Wayne commented. Ann snapped out of her thoughts. "Not at all." She said and focused her attention on the crack between the elevator doors. "I know you probably don't know much about this business. I just want you to know that I'm not the type of person to take advantage of that. I'd like to help you. Show you how to run a business as big as yours." He told her. She gave him a weird look. "Strange." She mumbled. "What's that?" he asked her. "Oh, nothing. It's just that, it's like you read my mind. I have a friend that does that all the time." She told him. "Ah, sorry. That's a bad habit of mine." He laughed. She smiled. She was actually beginning to like this man. For being the vain, self centered ass that the media described, he wasn't that bad.

Bruce took her to a very nice restaurant for lunch. She felt strangely out of place. She would have been silent a lot, but being around Bruce Wayne made it difficult to stay cooped up inside her head. He was fun to be around and he kept the conversation going. The 'business' part of lunch was conveniently forgotten and they just talked for an hour about experiences they had had in their life. When lunch was over he escorted her back to Nightshade and told her that he would make arrangements to go over business 'properly'. They said goodbye and she went back to her office. By then it was almost time for the first of a long line in interviews.

* * *

 

An hour later she had just finished her fifth interview with a young man fresh out of high school. She was completely exasperated. All of them were boring as hell. Always calling her 'Miss Giovanni' even when she told them to call her Ann. She was bored to tears. There was a knock on her office door signaling that the next candidate was ready. She called for them to enter. She didn't even look up from the computer at her desk. She had been playing solitaire for the last half hour. "Annie?" Ann looked up from her computer in confusion. There at the other side of her desk stood Misa with a hand full of papers that was her resume.

"Misa? What the hellr you doing here?" Ann asked. "Interview. I'm kinda out of a job since Harvey is dead now after all. What are you doing here?" She asked. "Oh, didn't you hear? I'm the new owner of Nightshade Corporation, my father's company." Ann told her. Misa sat down. "Your father, he's-" "dead." Ann cut her off. "I'm so sorry." She told Ann. Ann shrugged. "Congratulations. You got the job. Now I can stop these damned annoying interviews." Ann said. Misa nearly laughed as she tossed her resume into the trash can next to the desk.

"Awesome. When do I start?" The next half hour was spent telling Misa everything that had happened. She even told her about lunch with Bruce Wayne. Misa was in awe. "You actually had lunch with Bruce Wayne? Gawd, he is SO hot!" She exclaimed. Ann rolled her eyes. "What's he like in person?" She asked. "Charming. Nothing at all like what you see on tv." Ann told her.

"What will you tell 'him'?" she asked. Ann scoffed. She had already had this conversation once today. "Well, 'he' isn't answering his thrice damned phone so 'he' can go to hell." Ann said in annoyance. "He's not answering his phone? What's going on?" Misa asked. "Pft. I have no idea. It's really starting to piss me off though. Hey! Can I use your phone?" Ann asked her. "Umm. Sure." Misa said and handed Ann her phone. Ann giggled and dialed Joker's number. After a few rings he actually answered. Now that she'd finally gotten him she didn't know what to say at first. "Hey."

That's it? Hey?

"Ann?" he asked after a moment of silence. "Yeah." She said. Suddenly she was really depressed. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Yeah." She said again. "Why… why didn't you answer your phone?" she asked. "I've been busy." He told her. "What are you doing tonight? You don't want me there with you?" She asked.

"That little- He told you didn't he?" Joker asked. "No. He wouldn't. So I figured it out." She said. "Ah. I don't want you to go because, well, your basically famous right now. Anyone who watches the news knows who you are. I wont risk you losing everything just for me." He told her. "I understand, but, I'd much rather have you." She said. Her stomach was beginning to feel upset. "You sound sick. Can I come by later?" He asked. That was strange. He didn't usually ask. He always just showed up. "My apartment is surrounded by reporters. I haven't even been there yet." She told him. He was silent for a moment. "You remember the rooftop I followed you to when you were drunk?" he asked.

"I wasn't drunk." She stated. "Coulda fooled me." Misa mumbled from the other side of the desk. Ann glared at her. "Meet me there at 10:00 tonight." He said. "Okay." She told him. "See ya there doll face." He said and hung up. Ann handed the phone back to Misa. "Well. I have quite some time before I have to go meet him. You wanna go with me to get 'office stuff'?" Misa squealed. "YOU want to go SHOPPING?" She asked. "Well I can't have my office looking like a giant barren cubicle. I guess we get like plants n stuff?" Ann said. Misa laughed. "I'll buy ya whatever you need too." Ann told her. Only now did Ann look around her office. It was a rather large room with light grey walls and a gold and white trim around the top. The desk was on the side opposite two large wooden doors that led to the reception area where Misa would be working. The desk was a dark mahogany much like the furniture in Joker's room had been. Large full length windows were in place of walls behind the desk and along the right where the walls would be. Between the desk and the doors there was a huge empty space that was occupied only by a large red and gold embroidered throw rug. A door in the left wall led to a private bathroom complete with a small closet and a shower. There was plenty of space for furniture. Ann pictured a long black leather couch running vertically between the doors and the desk and two matching recliners opposite it with a long mahogany table in between. She also pictured a large flat screen sitting on a mahogany table on the wall to the left. Of course there would be various plants in various places. She also decided to put a table to the left of the doors and have a coffee machine and some cups placed on top of it. It seemed she had a knack for decorating.

Ann led Misa out to the reception desk where she told Maria to cancel all the other interviews. She then proceeded to introduce her to Misa and informed Maria that Misa would be working as her receptionist. A hand full of people waiting nervously hung their shoulders and walked out of the room. Maria sighed in relief at hearing this news. Apparently she hadn't been happy about being a temporary receptionist. Maria said that she would have a picture taken of Misa and an identification card made for her when Misa came to work the next morning. Ann asked Maria if she would opt as a receptionist for a short while longer while Misa and Ann bought 'office supplies'. She agreed and Misa and Ann rode the elevator down to the ground floor. They decided to take Misa's car, since Ann was sick of driving.

They went by the bank first so Ann could arrange some way of withdrawing money. They sat her up with a debit card that drew directly from her main account and a card for the private one used by the company. Then Misa took her to a very nice furniture store. There Ann bought all the things she had pictured in the office and scheduled them to be delivered later that afternoon at around 6:00. Ann also bought Misa a really comfortable leather chair for her to sit in when she was at her desk and several file cabinets. After that they went to a Wal Mart and bought office supplies like pencils, pens, post it notes, scheduling books, calendars, and a gold fish for Misa. After a half hour of arguing she talked Ann into getting a fish of her own. She got a beta. It was a really pretty purple/blue. She didn't get a conventional fish bowl like Misa had. She got a clear glass vase and a plant that sat just inside the brim of the vase. The leaves flowed over the top and hung down and the fish would eat the roots that hung freely in the water with it.

On their way back Misa wanted to go clothes shopping for Ann. She would need some new clothes. So they dropped the fish off at Misa's apartment and went to the mall. No one really payed attention to them. Several people recognized Ann from the news but she just ignored them. Ann bought several fancy business suits and a few more casual off outfits. She also bought several really nice dresses incase she had to go out to dinner again. She got the feeling that she would need them. All the shopping and fancy things were starting to make her sick. So they headed back to Misa's apartment to pick up the fish then made their way back to Nightshade. It was about 5:45 when the delivery people arrived with Ann's new furniture. They got busy setting it up as Misa and Ann organized their desks the way they liked them.

All of the furniture had been assembled where she wanted it. The last thing was the tv. A technician was installing it and hooking up satellite when the phone buzzed. Misa was sitting in one of the recliners reading a magazine and Ann was sprawled out on the couch when there was a knock at the open double doors. Misa glanced towards the doors and Ann looked up to see Bruce Wayne leaning against the door with a smirk on his face. Misa's jaw dropped open. "You really weren't kidding!" She said to Ann. Ann glared at her as he walked over to the two. He smiled at having heard that we had been talking about him.

"Bruce this is Misa. She's my best friend. We grew up together. She's also my secretary." Ann told him. Misa extended her hand excitedly. "Nice to meet you Mr. Wayne." Bruce shook her hand and said the same. He looked amused when she nearly melted. Ann rolled her eyes. "Please sit down. Would you like some coffee?" Ann asked. "No thank you." He replied. Misa had gone back to her magazine, sort of. She was pretending to read it while glancing up over the top of it at him every few seconds.

Just look at her! What in the world has gotten into her head?

**He's a celebrity.**

So? You don't see me fawning over him like that.

**Maybe that's why he's here….. again.**

Oh shut up. Your impossible.

"Can I ask why your still in you office at almost 8?" Bruce broke her train of thought. "I could ask you the same question." Ann said. He laughed. "In truth, I just couldn't stay away." He told her. Her eyebrows rose slightly but she covered up the surprise on her face quickly. Misa had gone to alternating glances from Ann to Bruce. Ann was trying to ignore her. "So how did you know I'd be here?" Ann asked out of mild curiosity. "I didn't. Just thought I'd come find out. The reporters stationed outside your apartment were a dead give away that you wouldn't be there though." She scoffed. "You mean their 'still' there?" Ann asked in mild annoyance.

"You know, you'll have to go back eventually." He told her. Misa was still playing the 'glancing game'. "Oh, cut it out. He's a person. Not a deity. Your making me paranoid." Ann told Misa. Misa's eyes widened when he flashed her a smile and she went back to her magazine for real. "Some have called me that before." He said more to himself. Ann had to keep herself from laughing. "I wouldn't doubt it." Misa was openly staring at him now. Ann glared at her and she mildly shook her head and looked back at the magazine again. "Well, if you can't go home, you could always stay at my mansion. There are plenty of spare rooms." He offered. Ann's eyes got wide for a moment and she and Misa exchanged a look. "I couldn't possibly impose. I'll just rent a motel room for the night." She said hoping he wouldn't argue the point. He did anyway. "Nonsense. You would be a delight to have for dinner." Ann considered the implications of 'have for dinner' before replying. "No thank you." She insisted. "A woman like you should never have to stay in a motel. Please, I insist." He said. "Well, if you insist, I won't stay at a motel then. I'll stay at Misa's house with her." Bruce laughed. "Have it your way then." He said with a bit of disappointment in his voice. "Thank you for the offer. It's appreciated." She told him.

It wasn't until Ann made a show of getting ready to leave that he excused himself. By then it was already 9:30. Ann hastily retrieved her blazer from the desk drawer and made her way to her car. Once she arrived she strapped on her dagger and the gun on her back. She had left them in the car when she had made her first appearance at Nightshade. She then proceeded to drive to the park by her favorite hiding spot. She parked a good distance away from the abandoned building then made her way to it by foot. She didn't want a cop seeing her unattended car and come looking for her. This way if that happened they would be looking in the wrong spot. She made her way to the top of the building. As she was about to open the door that lead to the roof she stopped and took a deep breath. She didn't know why she was so nervous. She couldn't wait to see him. But something was making her paranoid. After steadying her nerves she opened the door and quietly made her way onto the roof.

The roof was empty. She looked around and there was no sign of Joker anywhere. She sighed in disappointment, afraid he may not show up at all. "I miss you." She whispered. You'd have never heard it if you hadn't been listening. There was suddenly an arm around her waist and on instinct the turned intent on swinging the back of her fist across the person's face. Her wrist was caught before it connected, however. She found herself staring into the eyes of Joker. He had a smug smirk on his face. "Missed me, eh?" He taunted.

At seeing him she was suddenly at a loss for words again. She couldn't even think. All she knew was she missed him. She jumped forward and wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. He was shocked at first and stumbled backwards a bit. He quickly collected himself and wrapped his arms around her. He inhaled deeply next to her ear. "Did you get to see him before he…" she could hear the strain in his voice. "No. He was already gone." She told him. "How did you know him?" She asked. He paused for a moment, like he was considering his words. "He was an acquaintance of my sensei." He told her. She nodded slightly. "For some reason, I felt like I'd never see you again." She told him. She knew he was smiling without even having to look, but he was silent. She turned towards him and they kissed.

**I don't think you were meant to see him again.**

Ann ignored Akira. Joker suddenly made the kiss deeper as he lifted her and slammed her against the door she had come through. She wrapped her legs around him as he lifted her and pressed his midsection into her. She moaned when he began kissing and biting her neck and his hands wandered up the back of her shirt and his fingers gripped at her skin. She slid his coat over his shoulders and down his arms and he let it fall to the ground. He slid his hands from her knees to her hips then squeezed. At the same time he bit down on the trigger spot on her neck. Her body jolted as her back arched against the door behind her.

She tugged at his green vest and he watched her as he smoothly slid his hand up to unbutton it. Once his vest was gone he pulled her shirt up over her head and ran his hands up and down her sides. She arched into him without even realizing it. He watched how she reacted to his touch like he had under the bridge back in Oklahoma. She moaned louder when he grasped her hips and slammed her into the wall again. She grabbed the bottom of his shirt, unable to control herself, and stripped it off him. He let her run her fingers over the muscles on his chest and arms.

Out of nowhere she dug her fingernails into his arms hard and pulled him closer. Just like all the other times, he froze for an instant, but this time he didn't stay frozen. After a moment he slammed her against the wall harder and grinded himself into her. She bit her lip and dug her nails in deeper. She heard the breath escape from him slightly just before he grinded into her again and bent down to nip at her collar bone. She whimpered almost in dread as she dragged her nails down his back hard and slow. He groaned and his back arched slightly with the movements of her hands. He braced his hands on the door on either side of her head. "Don't do it, Ann." He warned as his eyes fell on her. His look held a murderous gaze. She rubbed the side of her face against his. "What if I want to, Jak?" She whispered in his ear. "You don't. I'll hurt y-" His words cut off as she bit him in the neck and his body reflexively jerked forward into her. His fist slammed into the door next to her head, leaving a dent. He suddenly grabbed her by the hair and forced her to look at him. His eyes were cold. The coldest she'd ever seen them. His lips slammed into hers in a ferocious kiss.

She had to know. She just had to know what it was that he was so afraid he would do. She bit down on his lower lip hard enough to draw a bit of blood.

That did it.

He pulled her away from the wall and all but threw her to the ground. She landed on her back and the momentum caused her to roll onto her stomach. She didn't even have time to register what had happened before he was on top of her. He took her by the arm and flipped her onto her back. Her bra was gone in a matter of seconds and he was already unbuttoning her pants. She arched to allow him to pull them off of her. She tried to unbutton his but he caught her wrists and held them above her with one hand while he undid them himself with the other. She struggled slightly at having her arms pinned. It only seemed to add fuel to the fire.

Once his pants were gone he bent down and kissed and bit at her neck causing her to moan. She arched into him and his free hand roamed up and down her body. A knife appeared in his hand. She didn't let it bother her this time. She arched her body into him again. He let the tip of the blade trail along her skin from her collar bone to her stomach then lower. Her heart accelerated as he cut the fabric of her panties and tossed them and the knife off to the side. His fingers were suddenly inside her. She gasped and her back involuntarily arched beneath him. She barely had enough sense to register the twisted smile he had on his face.

She struggled trying to get her arms free so she could touch him, but he wouldn't release her. It just made it that much worse. She was panting heavily. "Jak." She moaned. She felt his breath on her neck. "What will you do lil Shadow? Will you beg me?" She gasped as his thumb rubbed circles on her sensitive clit and his fingers worked her back and forth. She was barely able to realize that he had gained control of himself again through her pleasure. She bit her lip in an attempt to contain her whimpers and moans. Just when she thought the pleasure would be too much her body involuntarily arched. She thought her back was going to break. Then release.

Her consciousness waivered for a moment. She looked up at him and she lurched as he pulled his fingers out of her. Her body shuddered in spasms. He still held her arms above her head. He bent down where his face was closer to hers and licked a finger. She watched him and couldn't help but lick her lips despite how hard she tried not to. He raised his eyebrows invitingly and held out his hand. She strained against the hold he had on her wrists. Just when she was in reach he smeared the gooey substance across her lips. She licked her lips in satisfaction despite still being pinned down and at his mercy.

"Still think you can break me love?" He asked. He held an amused look on his face, but his voice was menacing. She was still shaky. "I will. Someday." She managed to say between breaths. He smiled at her just before he plunged himself inside her. She cried out but her cries became muffled by his lips on hers. He started out slow forcing her to work up her pleasure slowly. It was agonizing. He released her wrists and she desperately clung to his shoulders as he began picking up the pace. His hands found her breasts and massaged them in rhythmic patterns while his thumbs caressed the peaks of the soft skin.

He began going faster and harder. He moved his left hand to lift her back off the ground. Her body instinctively arched. He kept his other hand palm down on the ground to support them. He drove into her even harder letting his full length penetrate her. It was just painful enough to intensify her pleasure. She tangled her hands in his hair as he slipped his tongue inside her mouth and pulled her closer with his left hand. Soon she was on the verge of ecstasy again and she had to fight herself to keep from biting down on his tongue unwillingly. At the very end his pace increased and she tore her lips away from his and let her head fall back as she cried out. He rested his head on her shoulder as he thrust inside her several time. He held her there with her entire upper body completely supported by his hand. She had no intentions of moving. After a minute he gently laid her down and eased himself to lie on top of her.

Ann managed to turn her head to look at him. He had his forehead rested on her shoulder breathing heavily still. She ran her fingers through his hair. "I think I love you Jak." She told him and then let her head fall back to rest on the concrete. He slowly raised his head to look at her. "I know."


	24. Chapter 24

 

 

"You got me wantin to go to sleep, and here I still have to go to work." Joker said as Ann buttoned her pants. He had already gotten his pants on but was still shirtless. She snapped on her bra and walked over to him. He let her wrap her arms around his waist as he looked out over the edge of the building. He was staring out into oblivion again. She smiled and leaned her head against his back.

"This is the last time you'll see me." He told her. Ann's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" she asked hesitantly. "You can't be around me anymore. You'll lose everything." He told her. She gasped at him. "I don't care! They can have it all! I'd give it all for you." She told him before clasping her hands over her mouth. "Save your attempts at secrecy love. You already said it." He told her. _You already said you love me._

"I won't let you do this." She told him. "And I won't let you end up in Arkham or a stone cell somewhere. 'I' made a promise. I've told you I'm a man of my word. It's a blessing and a curse." He said sternly. "And it's 'my' life! You can't make my decisions for me." She said. He looked at her sadly. "No, but I 'can' make my own choices, and I 'choose' to keep you away from me for your own protection." He said. He had been getting dressed during their argument and was now fully clothed. She turned to face away from him. "I won't let you. It's MY life. I'll do what I friggin want with it." She said defiantly. He sighed. "You know I could knock you out in a heartbeat." He told her. She was silent. "Somehow I knew you wouldn't go along with this willingly. We're just too much alike." He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "Never forget." He told her. Her eyes widened as she realized what he was about to do just before his hand covered her mouth and nose with a white cloth and her consciousness quickly began to fade.

Chloroform! That bloody bastar-

She was out. She fell back into his arms and he lifted her easily. "So sorry Shadow. I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that." He said sarcastically.

* * *

 

"Ann!... Ann! Wake up!" Ann opened her eyes and groggily looked around. "Misa? What-" It suddenly all came back to her and she jolted upright. "Where am I?" She asked hastily. "My apartment. Joker dropped you off here about 20 minutes ago." Misa told her. "Shit! What time is it?" Ann asked her. Misa looked at her phone. "10 till midnight." She replied. "Joker told me that you should sleep for at least four hours, but I used smelling salt." Misa informed Ann.

Ann belatedly realized she was dressed and laying on Misa's couch. She let out a long stream of curses and headed for the door. "Hey! Where the fuck you think your going?" Ann heard Duane's voice yell from behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see him standing in the doorway to the hall. "Your going after him aren't you." It wasn't a question. He already knew the answer. "I don't have time to argue with you." Ann told him as she opened the door that led outside. Duane followed her. "Then I'm coming with you, you stubborn, idiotic, half witted…." The stream of insults continued as he walked out the door and to his car. Ann followed him. Misa stayed behind and never even said a word. Apparently Joker had left Ann's car where she had parked it, so she needed a ride from Duane anyway. No way in hell was she going to let him get away with drugging her with sleeping gas. She was mad enough to skin him alive.

He can't just over rule my decision then knock me out when I object to it! That bloody bastard.

**Last time I checked he was the Joker and did whatever he wanted too. Bloody bastard or not. He got you.**

This only fueled Ann's anger level. She insisted on driving. She knew Duane would drive to slow to get to the police station in time. Much to Duane's protest, she pick pocketed his keys and glued herself to the driver's seat. If he was tagging along he had no choice but to agree.

Duane grudgingly complained and griped the whole ten minutes to the police station. Ann was simply ignoring him. By the time they got there she was ready to throw him out of the car.

As they approached the police station Ann skidded the car to a halt just as a huge tanker semi carrying a full load of gasoline slammed into the building. She shielded her eyes at the resulting explosion. Duane did much of the same thing. Between the semi wrecking into it at full speed and the explosion, there would be nothing left but rubble. A bit simplistic, but it got the job done.

It must be a final warning to Gotham's police to stay out of his way.

The police station was at a 90 degree bend in the road. The semi had come from around the corner. Ann couldn't see where exactly it had come from because of all the buildings. She got out of Duane's car to go find Joker but she couldn't run on the road because of all the fire, and there were no allys between the buildings. She growled in frustration. Upon further inspection she noticed a fire escape ladder going up the side of one of the buildings so she ran for it and began climbing her way to the top. Duane followed her. He was still complaining about the mess he had gotten himself into and saying something about Joker being a maniacal bastard from hell.

The buildings were 3 stories tall. Once on the rooftops Ann had a better view of the road ahead. She saw Joker's henchmen cheering and celebrating on the road ahead of where she was. She ran on the rooftops to get closer. She saw Joker off in the background. He wasn't cheering or celebrating. He just stood there. After she got a bit closer he noticed her and threw a confused look her way. She could almost picture the cursing that followed just before he started yelling at the people around him. They all took off at a run down the road away from where the semi had exploded towards, what she guessed was where their get away car was. She ran faster trying to figure out how she could get down quickly. Up ahead of her the buildings decreased from 3 stories to 2 stories.

Looks like I'm goinna be a bit sore tomorrow.

Duane was yelling at her to stop but she ignored his incessant protests and dove off the tops of the buildings head first and rolled when she landed on the lower roof. It hurt, but she managed to get back up on her feet quickly and continue running. Meanwhile Duane was climbing down the side of the wall behind her. Up ahead she saw that the buildings descended again. She did the same thing. This time when she rolled she hit her left shoulder hard on the cement roof but she still got up. Her shoulder hurt a lot. She held it while she ran. She was closing in on Joker and his gang. She dove one final time off the roof to land on level ground. She landed in a grassy area, which made the impact much easier. She had left Duane way behind. Now she just had to catch up to Joker.

Joker and his men were about a block away from her. She had 'actually' caught up with them a bit. They were heading towards the other side of one of the many bridges of the city. It just so happen to be one of the ones that raise for ships to pass under. Also, it just so happen to begin to rise as Joker and his men approached it. Ann cursed and pushed herself harder.

By the time Ann reached the bridge it was already at a 45 degree angle and rising. Joker had reached the gap in the middle just in time to step over onto the other side. The rest of the men disappeared on the other side, but Joker stayed where he was as the bridge continued to rise. He half turned and watched her as she began climbing.

The bridge continued to climb as Ann worked her way up. It was steadily getting harder and harder to keep her footing. She leapt for the edge of the bridge just before she would have lost her footing. She caught it by her fingertips and managed to pull herself up to her shoulders as the bridge came to a screeching halt. Joker was on the other side.

He was standing on the edge watching her. Ann pulled herself up further to crouch precariously on the edge of the bridge. Just as she managed to control her balance and stand, Joker turned to leave.

"No!" She screamed at him. He twisted in place to glance at her again over his shoulder. "Nothing you can do love. I'm over here." He nodded suggestively at the gap between them.

"I'll follow you." She warned him. "Don't Ann. You'll fall." She glared at him just before she lunged in the direction of the other side. As her feet came off the ground she stretched out as far as she could to try to reach the other side. Time seemed to slow down. She tried to focus on the ledge she was reaching for, but her eyes wandered up to him. He seemed to be frozen for a moment as she realized she wouldn't reach the ledge. She closed her eyes as she began to fall towards the water below.

When she opened her eyes she was looking at the water far below her. She looked up to realize she was hanging from the top of the bridge. Hanging by the outstretched hand of the Joker. He had dropped to his stomach on the raised bridge to catch her by the hand. He gave her an annoyed smile.

"I'd expect nothing less. That reckless habit of yours needs some refining. I won't always be there to catch you." He told her.

He pulled her up to hang from the bridge at shoulder level in front of him. She didn't have anything to say. She just looked in his eyes. By now there were sirens off in the distance and they were steadily getting louder. "Time to go love." Joker told her. He swiftly kissed her, even as the concrete bridge lay between them. Then he turned and let himself slide down the raised bridge as she clambered to pull herself the rest of the way up.

He smoothly reached the bottom and turned the slide into a slight step off the incline and began walking away without a look back. There was a white van that was parked off to the side of the bridge next to the control building. Joker paced himself with that smooth walk over to it and stepped in the sliding side door just as Ann slid down the incline of the bridge and made it to the bottom. The van sped off. Ann stood at the base of the bridge and cast a long look after it as it rounded a corner off in the distance. She sighed and began walking away from the bridge.

After a few steps she realized that the sirens were just on the other side of the bridge now so she quickened her pace a bit. When she was almost to the end of the bridge she heard a rough voice yell at her to stop from behind her. She glanced back to see Batman coming towards her from the bridge's inclined middle.

Damn it all. 'This' is his fucking protection?

Ann began to run in the direction of the buildings on the other side of the river.

**You forget, you did chase after him after he told you not to.**

She looked back to see that Batman was chasing after her.

But if he hadn't gone all 'noble' I would be with him in the van.

**Point**.

She made it to the buildings. Batman was still half way to the land. She rounded the same corner that Joker's van had. All the buildings in this area were to close together to walk between, just like the ones on the other side. It was primarily a market district. There were closed stalls up against the walls and tables where vendors would sell their merchandise during the day.

Ann contemplated hiding in one of the stalls, but it would only delay the inevitable. If she were to hide he would just search when the cops got there, and by then she would be unable to move. As she ran down the side of the street she had an idea. In a slightly overly flashy manner she used the stalls and stands to make her way up onto the roof tops. She continued along the river by way of roof top. Off in the distance behind her she could see that the police were lowering the bridge that they had came across. Upon further inspection she could see that Batman was still pursuing her.

Up ahead of her the buildings began to space out again like normal. Batman was at least three buildings behind her. She saw a fire escape on the building adjacent from the one she was on. She leapt for it without thinking. Barely she caught it by her fingertips and pulled herself over the railing. She then began her descent. Once she got to ground level she decided she should have stayed on the roofs. She decided this because by the time she had climbed down the escape ladder Batman had caught up with her and had simply jumped off the roof to land on his feet with a heavy thud about 12 feet away from her.

She took off at a mad run around a corner and down an ally. He was right behind her. She was looking for a spot to duck and hide from him like Joker had shown her. He was just as fast as she was though. She would have to get farther ahead of him if she was going to escape. Just after rounding a second corner she pulled out the gun strapped to her back. When he came around the corner after her she opened fire as she ran. He barely noticed when a bullet grazed his arm. But she did notice.

When she got to the end of the ally she rounded the corner and found what she had been looking for. She ducked into a doorway and crouched. A few seconds later he came running by, completely oblivious to her location. She snickered to herself and exited her hiding spot a minute later.

Working in a zig zag pattern she made her way to a different bridge and then called Misa for a ride home.

Except she had forgotten, she couldn't go home.

She sighed and had Misa drop her off at the Nightshade building. Even though Misa had insisted over and over that Ann stay with her that night Ann strongly disagreed. She would rather sleep in her office than be a burden to Misa. Besides, she had a big comfortable couch to sleep on and she didn't want to hear all the bitching and complaining from Duane. Misa gave her a few blankets to sleep with then dropped her off at Nightshade.

Ann had some trouble with the night guard, who readily apologized over and over once she showed him a picture of her on the front cover of the newspaper he had been reading. His name was Shawn. He was overly tall and had broad shoulders. His hair was a shiny black that was gelled into a slight Mohawk. It wasn't overly done. It actually looked really good on him.

"Can I ask why you're here so late ma'am?" Shawn asked her as he unlocked the door to her office for her. "To sleep in peace." She replied before closing and re-locking the door.

* * *

 

Next morning somewhere between 8 and 9 am.

"Ann. I swear to God if you don't wake up I'm goinna have security unlock the door!" Misa yelled angrily from the other side of the locked office door. "Whatever it is- I'm busy. Just tell everyone I'm busy." Ann called back with a groan. "That's it. I'm calling security." Misa informed her. There was a loud thump and after a few seconds the door opened to reveal a very annoyed looking Ann. Ann was wearing her pajamas and a loose t shirt. Her hair was a mess and she looked like she was about to fall over.

"Misa. I've been awake without sleep for the last three days. And now here you are pounding on my door insisting that I wake up after only-" she paused to count. "- 6 hours!" Misa sighed and pushed past her. "You have 9 new policies to read through and approve, 6 different products that need a patent,2 products to preview, 4 different CEOs of partner companies wanting an audience with you, at least 20 different reporters wanting an interview, and it all has to be done by noon." She said as she placed a stack of papers on Ann's desk. Ann groaned. "Ok, have someone go down and put patents on the products and schedule the meetings with the CEOs, and tell the reporters that 1 of them will get an interview when I have enough time. I can do the paperwork later. I'll be previewing the products in research and development until I'm needed for the CEO appointments. Oh, and have someone go get my car." Ann said and began to walk out the door. "Umm Ann, don't you think you might wanna put some clothes on first?" Ann stopped in her tracks. "Ya. Thanks." She mumbled then went to the closet.

Ann had tactfully decided to wear a simple black but stylish business suit. She left the jacket un buttoned and under it was a slightly frilly white shirt that sowed of her cleavage just a bit. She hated it, but she had to admit, she looked good.

Five minutes later she was in research and development listening to a little man with glasses explain to her how the first new product worked. The 'product' was a remote detonation system that was primarily used for C4 but could be adapted to any explosive device. Ann couldn't help but think how useful it would be to Joker. She suddenly felt horribly depressed. She didn't show it though.

The next product was basically a shot gun that had been adapted to hold 9 shells and fire more rapidly. (That's illegal btw) It also had a patented clip loading feature and a place to carry an extra clip. The little man with glasses was about to have a guy named Shane, the security guard, demonstrate it, but Ann stopped him. She tried the weapon out herself firing all 9 shots into a target, reloaded in record time, then fired 9 more shots. She smiled when she handed the modified shot gun back to Shawn. "It's approved." She said, then walked out. Both Shawn and the man with glasses, whom she now knew as John, both watched her walk out in amazement.

The product approval had taken about half an hour and she still had close to an hour before her first appointment. Once she made it back to her office she began skimming over the first in the stack of policies that she needed to review as she logged into her computer. She got on the internet and began browsing through the news while she looked over the policies. She had approved and signed 3 and declined one half an hour later. That was when she noticed a headline that she happened to feature in. "Caped crusader chases mysterious woman after Joker attack on police station"

She rolled her eyes just as there was a knock on the door. She looked up as Ashley strolled in looking around in a slight state of awe. "Nice place." She said as she sat on the couch. "How you liking the new job?" She asked. Ann leaned back in the comfortable chair. "What do you think?" She replied. "You should be happy! You're the CEO of a powerful multi billion dollar company. You got the world at your fingertips." Ashley exclaimed.

"I don't want the world. It's corrupt and mundane." Ann mumbled. "Well what 'do' you want? Guarantee you'll get it." Ann was getting sick of the conversation already. "Nothing I can get with 'money' or a 'powerful company'. If I can't get it on my own then I don't deserve it." Ann said as she walked to the coffee machine and poured her a cup of coffee.

"I hate having this company. It's a huge pain in my ass." "Well, why don't you just sell it then?" Ashley asked. Ann sighed. "I can't do that. He left it to me for a reason. I have to take care of it." Ann said as she sat on the couch and leaned back to sip at her coffee.

Misa just happen to walk in. "The patents are taken care of." She informed Ann as she plopped into the recliner. Ann nodded and sipped at her coffee again. "That's it!" Ashley said suddenly and jumped up excitedly making Ann nearly spill her coffee. "What the hellr you talking about?" Ann asked in an annoyed tone.

"Don't you remember? Oh my God! I can't believe you have thought of it yet! Your dad and Jok-" Ann coughed loudly to interrupt her with a glare. "Oh, right. Your dad and 'Jak' knew each other right. I was just thinking that there has to be a connection between that and Nightshade. You said yourself that he had to have left the company to you for a reason." Ann thought for a minute.

"Wow. I've been busy. I should have noticed that. I really can't think of a connection other than the weapon manufacturing though." She said as she went to her computer and began browsing through files. First she searched in the database for anything relating to Jak Slayer. That turned up absolutely nothing. Remembering that Joker had been in Japan she searched for that. There was a company in Japan that had a history with Nightshade for the last 20 years. She thought it interesting, but not very helpful. She remembered that Joker had said that her father was a friend of his sensei. So she cross searched over the internet for anything she could find on Hashigawa Takahashi the owner of the Takahashi company. She didn't find anything of interest about him, but she did learn that he had a brother.

'Everyone' has a brother.

**Seems that way.**

Aritomo Takahashi, she learned, had mysteriously disappeared in the summer of 1967. She looked into it further. His disappearance happened just after he had completed training in the Martial Art known as Aikido at the age of 25.

"Sonofabitch!" Ann yelled. Ashley and Misa ran over to look over her shoulder. "It's his sensei. It has to be!" Ann said in excitement. "His brother's company has had a history with Nightshade for 20 years! That's how he knew my father." She said as she leaned back in her chair with an astonished look on her face. "Hey. Didn't your father take you to Japan?" Misa asked. Ann hadn't even thought of it. "Yeah. When I was 9." Ann replied. "Well? Do you remember anything? You probably met his sensei and never even knew it." Ashley suggested. Ann thought for a minute. "I remember some guy in a business suit and a lot of people wearing what I thought were skirts. They were training outfits! And the guy in the suit must have been his sensei's brother!" Ann said.

**Don't you remember?**

Remember what?

~Flash Back~

She was in a village way up in the mountains of Japan. She couldn't understand anyone except her father and his friend. Her father, along with his friend and the majority of the village were mingling around a huge fire at the center of the village. It had only just begun to get dark but it was already cold. Ann had hung around the fire for a short while, but it wasn't long before she got bored and she was uncomfortable around all the people. She decided to look around a bit. It was the first time her father had been distracted enough to not be paying attention to her. There wasn't much interesting in the village except for the big building that her father called a 'dojo'. So that's where she went. She worked her way through the village. She was careful not to let anyone see her.

The dojo was built at the edge of a cliff that dropped nearly strait down. A fence was built around that side of the village to prevent anyone from accidently falling off. A balcony went all the way around the outside of the dojo. Ann walked up the stairs and walked curiously around the balcony towards the back.

The back side of the balcony overlooked out over the cliff. It was beautiful. You could see for miles. She smiled and stood looking for a few minutes. After awhile she jumped up to sit on the wood railing and lean against a support beam. She had always had a bad habit of doing that. She just couldn't believe how peaceful it was there.

"Hey!" Someone yelled. She was caught completely off guard and nearly jumped out of her skin with a scream. This caused her to fall off and over the railing. She managed to barely catch herself by the branch of a bush that was growing on the edge of the cliff. Less than a second later she felt someone grab her by the wrist.

She looked up to see a boy. He was really hansom with neck length black hair that was naturally spiky and the most startling green eyes she had ever seen. He pulled her back up and over the railing of the balcony.

"Thank you." She said after she was back on her feet. "Your not supposed to be here." Came his annoyed response. "I was just bored." She said angrily. "Boredom causes you to sit on the very edge of a hundred foot drop?" He asked sarcastically. "Well at least 'I' don't go around scaring people with my free time." She shot back at him. "Your awfully cocky for a kid." He told her with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Yeah? Well 'your' awfully rude for a boy." She said in annoyance. He leaned back and looked at her for a moment as if her were evaluating her. "I'm Jak."

~fades to white~

**You better wake up before they 'really' freak out.**

What? Who?

"Ann for fuck's sake wake up!" she heard Ashley screaming at her. She groggily opened her eyes and looked up at Ashley and Misa. "You have to breathe you idiot!" It was at that moment she realized she hadn't been breathing.

Ten minutes later she was trying to calm Misa down. It seemed Misa had been a heartbeat away from calling an ambulance and she was still trying to find a reason to. "Christ. I'm fine. Just leave it." Ann told her after taking a huge gulp of her coffee. "You weren't breathing! What happened?" Misa said in hilarity. "I just passed out, okay? Probably from not enough sleep."

Why did I stop breathing?

**I dunno. Side effect?**

Side effect? From what? Too much exposure to memories?

**I've never done that before, okay? Sorry if I was off a bit.**

Off a bit? I coulda died moron!

**At least you finally remembered him.**

"Hello! I'm talking to you!" Misa yelled angrily as she waived her hand in front of Ann's face. Ann glowered at her. "You wanna keep that hand?" She asked in an annoyed tone. Misa didn't look phased in the least, but she withdrew her hand anyway.

What did you do exactly?

**I just recalled a memory and played it back for you. It's like when you picture yourself flipping me off only more complicated.**

Okay. And why did I pass out and stop breathing?

**You passed out because it was too much information for your brain to process at one time while keeping up with consciousness. I have no idea why you stopped breathing.**

Great. Warn me next time you do that.

"You want me to cancel your appointments?" Misa asked her. "Yeah! That'd be great. I gotta find a new place to stay anyways. Sleeping at the office just aint goinna cut it." An said with a hint of aggravation. Misa sighed. "You just don't wanna deal with people." She said. "Umm. What's going to happen to your apartment?" Ashley asked. Ann thought for a minute. "Ok. Here's what's goinna happen. You can house sit for me and Lesha can save Misa's old place for the two of you when she gets into town. When I need the place again you can just move back in with Lesha." She said. "Sounds good." Both Misa and Ashley said in unison.

 

Why the hell didn't you tell me I had met him before? 

**You never asked.**

You- your such a bitch!

3 hours later she had finally found the right place. It wasn't all flashy and luxurious like all the celebrities had but it wasn't small or decrepit either. It was big enough for her to have her own work out area. It was located on the top 2 floors of a tall building. The floors connected by a spiral staircase in the bedroom. The only door to the 'apartment' was the one on the top floor that led out to a small foyer to receive people when they got off the staircase.

Just inside the door was a spacious living room. The kitchen was to the right. It was separated from the living room only by a waist high bar that wrapped around the kitchen to double as the kitchen's counter. To the left of the living room the wall was made of full length windows. One of them slid open and led out to a small balcony that ran along the entirety of the windows. There was a hallway to the right of the living room and to the left of the kitchen. Down the hall and on the right was a guest room and bathroom. At the end of the hall was the master bedroom and bathroom. The entire thing was carpeted with a rich red and the walls were a pearly white. The floor below was a dark hardwood. There were several smaller rooms with one large room. It was nearly perfect. It had the privacy that she wanted and all the things she needed. "I'll take it."

3 more hours later she had just finished shopping for furniture and miscellaneous things she needed with Misa and Ashley. The furniture store was scheduled to deliver everything in about half an hour. Misa had gone home and Ashley had finally stopped following her around. She was alone. She spent the time sitting on the cement floor of the balcony up against the wall with her right side up against the metal railing. She finally had time to think.

He had said that he was in Oklahoma looking for something. It's obvious he had to have been looking for me. Right?

**I suppose that's logical, even for him.**

And he left just after I did and he said that he left cause whatever he was looking for had left.

**So?**

So he had to track me down all over again. He was in Tulsa cause that's where the company's main branch was.

**So how did he end up in Gotham?**

He must have gone to each city that had a branch of the company.

**Have you considered the possibility that it's a coincidence?**

Joker? Coincidence? That's funny.

**Good point. But really? He went to all that trouble 'just' to find you?**

It would explain why it took him seven years to end up here.

The buzzer rang. Ann got up and went to the door. She was soon busy instructing people on where to put all the furniture. She had a black leather couch placed against the windows facing towards the kitchen, a tv and entertainment center against the wall to the right of the couch by the door, a recliner on the opposite wall by the hall, a coffee table parallel to the couch, bar stools along the bar that separated the kitchen, towels for the bathrooms and hand towels for the kitchen, an exquisite four post queen bed went in the center of the bedroom, and a vanity against the opposite wall. Everything else she needed, like her knives, guns, kitchen utensils, soap, and food she could get from her old apartment. She just had to find a way to get rid of the reporters.

After everything was set in her new place she was beginning to get hungry. Seeing as how there was no food in her new apartment, it looked like she was going to have to go out for dinner. She was just about to open the door but froze. She had the strange feeling that someone was watching her. She shook it off. No one even knew where she lived yet. It was impossible for someone to be watching her. She opened the door and made her way to the bottom floor.

She decided to just drive around until she found a place she liked. After being alone for awhile she began to actually realize everything that happened in the last few days. It seemed the longer she was alone the more depressed she felt. She wound up driving around for hours. When she finally looked where she was she realized she was right down the street from the little diner that Duane had taken her and Misa to. Also the one where her and Joker ate. The thought of Joker made her feel worse. She pulled into the parking lot. It looked like they were still open. So she went inside.

* * *

 

Joker's POV

He sat against the brick wall of the building across the street. This was the second time he found himself outside looking into her life. Also the second time he watched her eat at this little diner that she seemed to be fond of. It was different this time though. She was obviously bothered by something. Instead of staring out the window with indifference she sat looking down at the table. When her food arrived she barely touched it. She just pushed it around her plate with her fork. He had never seen her look so miserable.

* * *

 

Ann's POV

When she couldn't stand to look at her un-eaten food anymore she left the money on the table then exited the diner. She decided to go by her old apartment and pick up a few things. Mainly a few things that would help pick 'her' up. She was losing her mind. Figuring out part of his past hadn't helped in the least little bit. It just made her more confused and sad. She was so out of it she didn't even consider that he might be watching her. After a moment she mentally smacked herself for being such a little girl.

Who cares if he never wants to see me again? I'm through.

**Uh huh. Okay.**

I was perfectly fine before he dropped into my friggin life. I don't need him.

**Of course.**

He's a manipulating bastard!

**But you don't hate him.**

Shut up!

* * *

 

Joker's POV

He watched her basically have a mental breakdown. It started off small at first. On her way to her car she began shaking her head slightly in anger. After a few moments she stopped walking and just stood there a few feet from her car. A couple seconds went by and then she suddenly growled in frustration at some unknown source and spun around. She barely took a step before she whirled back around and slammed her fist into the hood of her car. "Shut up!" She screamed at no one. She seemed to snap out of it after a minute and raised her hand to cover her eyes. She took a deep breath then smoothly turned around and began walking towards her old apartment. He looked from her half a block away and still walking. Then he looked back to her car. And sighed.

* * *

 

Ann's POV

She figured that she had a better chance of avoiding any reporters that were still spying on her old place if she were on foot. If she saw anyone she would just have to go through the window that was around the back side of the building through an ally. Luckily she didn't see anyone upon arriving at her old place. She trudged up the stairs and unlocked her door. It was dark inside. She was guessing Ashley was asleep. She turned to shut the door and there was a slight bump behind her. On instinct she ducked. A mere instant later there was a loud thud against the wall where her head had just been and it sounded like a madwoman was throwing a tantrum. Ann backed up a few feet as the person swung at her again. Ann flicked on the light. " Fuck Ash! Stop! It's ME!" Ann yelled. A few seconds later a scared shitless Ashley holding a base ball bat sighed in relief.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" She yelled. Ann stared at her in disbelief. "It's MY house! What the hell are you doing swinging a friggin bat at my face?" Ann yelled back. "I thought you were a robber!" Ashley yelled back. "A robber?" Ann asked. "Yes. I mean, after all, Joker's here all the time. You know the people he has working for him." Ann's mood suddenly turned sour. "Well you won't have to worry about 'that' anymore." Ann said with a strait and forlorn face. Ashley looked at her a bit closer. "What do you mean? Are you ok?" She asked. Ann faked a smile. "Of course I'm fine. Why?" She asked. "Well, I think the temperature just dropped a few degrees. What's up?" Ash asked.

Ann averted her eyes. "You won't have to worry about Jak hanging around anymore." Ann told her over her shoulder as she walked to her old bedroom. Ashley stood behind her in the hall with her mouth hanging open. "What? What happened?" She yelled as she followed Ann to the bedroom. "I dunno. I got famous and he got paranoid." She mumbled. "Look, I really don't wanna talk about it." Ann replied. Ashley continued anyway.

"He dumped you? What did he say? When did this happen!" She asked. Ann sighed. "It's not important Ash. Just leave it." She told her as she got a suitcase out of her closet. She began packing a small selection of her favorite clothes. "Just tell me what he said? Does Misa know?" Ash asked. Ann closed her eyes and emitted a low growl. "Can we drop it please."

Ann was fighting herself to keep from lashing out at this point. "Have you seen him since-" Ann cut her off. "That's it. I don't even want to remember him! Why the fuck would I wanna tell you about it? Just leave me alone!" Ann yelled as she pushed Ashley out of her room and slammed the door shut. She threw open the display case housing her valuable knives and guns. She began furiously wrapping each of them in clothes and throwing them in the suitcase. This continued until her eyes landed on the exquisite silver knife that Joker had given her. Her heart almost broke. She gingerly picked up the knife and sat on the bed staring at it.

He must have put it in the display case for me.

"That ass hole." She said to herself. But her tone wasn't angry. She said it lovingly. She sighed and cradled her head in her hands while still holding the knife. She softly laid the knife in the suitcase then filled it with clothes until it was full. She then went to the kitchen and got a plastic bag. She filled it with her shampoo, soap, tooth paste and brush, deodorant, and makeup. She then went back to the kitchen and added necessary kitchen utensils. She then got another bag and went around the house gathering the various knives and weapons that were stashed everywhere, including the many pairs of nun chucks on her bedroom wall. She left several knives in the living room that she wasn't particularly attached to and the gun in the toilette. When she was done she went to the kitchen.

One last thing.

She opened the cabinet and grabbed her shot glass and her whiskey. After she put them in a bag she collected her things and headed for the door. Ashley was sitting on the couch and had been silent the whole time. As Ann opened the door Ashley stopped her.

"Wait. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry." She told Ann. Ann sighed. "Naw. It's my fault. I snapped for no reason. It's not like you're the one that dumped me." She told Ashley. With that she stepped outside. "Oh, and there's a gun in the water reserve for the toilette. Just in case you need it." She said over her shoulder then closed the door. She threw one of the bags over her shoulder and carried the rest with her other hand as she walked down the stairs and started the 8 block walk back to her car.

She should have been walking faster to avoid people, but she walked at a slower pace than usual. Somehow, she just couldn't make herself walk any faster. It took her a long time, but she finally passed the 6 block mark. She was only 2 blocks away. As she passed by an ally she didn't even bother looking in it.

Out of nowhere something hit her hard in the back of the head. She tumbled forward to land on her stomach and her consciousness waivered. She snapped out of it to realize that someone was dragging her into the ally she had just passed. She shook her head and kicked at the person but she was still a bit fuzzy from the blow to her head. The person easily avoided her kicks and wound up on top of her pulling at her clothes. She punched at him and kicked more frantically as her shirt was ripped open. The man grabbed her hands and held them above her head with one hand then continued trying to rip her shirt away with the other. She was out of all other options so she turned to antagonizing him.

"Can't get a girlfriend, huh? Your desperate and turn to rape. It's so typical." She told him. "Shut up whore." He spat at her. "Oh? More personal than that? I know! It's so small they all laugh at it once you get em in bed. That's sad. I feel sorry for you." She said sincerely. "Bitch!" He yelled and back handed her. She laughed. A deep, dark, menacing laugh. He hit her again and she laughed at him harder. One final and hard punch knocked her out.

* * *

 

Joker's POV

The second before her consciousness left he ran up out of nowhere and kicked the rapist hard in the face. He fell back off of her sputtering. The man leapt to his feet just in time to get Joker's fist in his face. The man stumbled back and smacked into the wall of the ally. "Touch my Shadow? I'll have fun with 'you'." Joker said as he slung open a knife and advanced on his victim.


	25. Chapter 25

 

She woke up with the worst headache she had ever had. She groaned and sat up and looked around. She was in her new apartment in her bed. The clock read 7:15 am. She was clothed if you counted the ripped shirt she was wearing as clothes. At seeing her shirt she remembered what had happened.

But, how the hell did I get here?

She moved to get up and something fell from her lap. She bent down to pick it up. It was a Polaroid picture. The picture contained a severely mutilated dead man with three word carved into his chest. The words were 'your welcome, love'.

She screamed in rage and threw the picture across the room.

It's all his fault! If he hadn't left then I wouldn't have been too depressed to check the friggin ally. Then he has the nerve to save me and then say 'your welcome'?

**Would you have rather been raped**?

I can't believe him! How DARE he!

**How dare he save your innocence and possibly your life?**

He didn't SAVE my innocence! He'd already taken it!

**Your right. He's such an ass. He must die. Really? Your bitching about him saving you**?

It was his fault to begin with!

**At least now you know he's still following you.**

GREAT! So were back to him stalking me! That's SO much better!

She got off the bed and threw her torn shirt across the room in frustration.

**So how did you get home?**

He must have brought me home. Duh.

**That would mean he's been watching you this entire time. Isn't that sweet**?

Go to hell.

She noticed her bags sitting against the wall by the bedroom door and walked over to them. She unpacked her clothes and put them in her closet. As she did so she laid all her valuable knives and guns on the bed. When she was done unpacking her clothes and weapons she put all the miscellaneous household items in their appropriate place and took all her valuable weapons downstairs. She sat all of them on a bare table that she had reserved for her katana when she brought it. She left all of them there except one. The one Joker had given her. She took the silver knife upstairs and placed it on the coffee table. She then went to the balcony and sat down on the floor with her back against the wall and her right side up against the railing. By now it was close to 8am and the sun was beginning to come up. The view of the sunrise over the city was amazing.

There was suddenly an annoying buzz sound coming from the living room. She lazily got to her feet and made her way inside. The buzzing noise was coming from the call box next to the door. She glared at the little black box for a moment before she pushed the button and replied with a slightly angry 'what?'. "Hey. You want a ride to work?" Misa's voice sounded through the box. Ann didn't even reply. She just hit the 'unlock' button on the box to let Misa in then went to her bedroom. She was still wearing the clothes from the night before, minus the torn shirt. She went to the bathroom for a quick shower then dressed in one of her sharp looking business suits. Once in the living room she discovered that Misa had made herself at home in the kitchen. "I didn't know what you'd want, so I fixed waffles, scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, and bacon." Misa informed her when she spotted Ann leaning on the counter with her eyebrows raised. Ann snatched a piece of bacon and went to stand at the edge of the large windows to look out over the city. A moment later she caught herself in a sigh and she realized she was thinking of him again. She mentally slapped herself and resolved to keep herself busy so it wouldn't happen any more. She walked back to jump up and sit on the kitchen counter and selectively nibble on the bacon.

An hour later Ann unlocked her office door and walked over to her desk to sit. Misa came in a few short minutes later carrying a stack of papers. "I need your signature on a few things. You also need to meet with a few people that you skipped out on yesterday and there's a new prototype for you to approve." Ann sighed. "Set up the appointments first. I'll do the paperwork when I get time between them. I'll just have to go down to the lab later." Ann replied. Misa nodded as she sat the stack of papers on the corner of the desk. It would be a little while before the first appointment so Ann decided to flip on the tv. A blond news reporter was rambling on about something as Ann began shuffling through the paperwork. After a few moments Joker's name was mentioned and Ann jerked her head up to listen more closely. "No new Joker sightings for several days now. Some are skeptical about this strange disappearance. Others are optimistic. Speculating that perhaps a fight with an angry mob boss may have taken care of the problem. I have with me Dr. Johan Fell, a leading psychiatric professor who also specializes in criminal activity. Dr. Fell, what would you say the Joker is planning?" The doctor was a thin woman with brunette hair. A set of small round glasses sat on the end of her pointy nose. She had a sort of snobby look about her. "Well there are several possibilities. He could be planning some sort of anarchistic stunt. We all know that nothing is beyond him or his reach. He's proven that time and again. I'm not too keen on the idea that a rival has taken him out of the picture. Most are too afraid of him and he seems to have out smarted them at every turn. I think its much more likely that something has gone wrong. Perhaps a set back has limited his activity."

Ann rolled her eyes.

Every one panics when he's even mentioned and now that he's suddenly absent there all wanting to know where he is. Ridiculous.

**Speaking of your bodacious beau. Do you want to remember more**?

That depends. Am I going to die?

**I said it was a mistake damnit! Besides, you should be fine. It's should get better as your body gets used to it.**

'Should' be fine. 'Mistake'. I don't like those words.

**Just shut up and pay attention**.

~Flash~

"I'm Jak" She looked up at him. He had broad shoulders and was a bit taller than her. He was wearing a black Japanese Gi and black hakama pants. On his waist was a thick black belt that supported the weight of a shiny black katana. "I'm Ann." "I know." He said with a slight smirk then turned to walk away. "Wait. Where are you going." She asked and began following him. He looked over his shoulder at her. "Well, I was going to meditate. But it looks like your going to change my plans." She frowned. "Why do you say that?" She asked him. "Cause your already following me." He said and kept walking. She debated following him. She wasn't quite sure if he was inviting her or telling her to scram. Curiosity got the better of her and she followed anyway.

He walked around to the back of the dojo and down a steep set of wood stairs that went down the side of the cliff. Once at the bottom they were on a narrow ledge that continued. He walked normally like the edge wasn't even there. Ann, being stubborn, tried to do the same. She managed to make it quite a ways but after a bit her toe caught on a rock and she nearly fell over the edge. Jak managed to grab her just in time. "You should be more careful. I won't always be here to catch you."

Ann's adult mind triggered at the recognition. He had said that to her before. He had been practically begging her to remember and she never had a clue.

Jak held her hand and she clung to his arm as he led her along the narrow cliff. She liked being close to him. His arm was strong and it made her feel secure. After a few minutes the ledge widened and around the corner was a clearing that had been hidden by the cliff face. It was surrounded by walls of mountain. A small waist deep stream curved through the middle of the clearing and there was a small pond against the back wall of the area. From farther up the wall of stone poured a waterfall that supplied the water for the river. The water was the clearest she had ever seen it. It was beautiful. She heard him laugh slightly and she looked up at him to realize she was still clinging to his arm. Her face turned bright red and she jerked away from him. He had an amused smirk on his face as he walked past her to go to the edge of the water and sit down.

Ann was fascinated by the waterfall. She had never seen a natural one before. She walked closer to it. By now it was completely dark, but the full moon illuminated the area in a pale blue light. She felt his eyes on her and she looked back at him to smile. She walked back over to sit next to him. It was silent for several minutes. "It's getting late. Shouldn't you go to sleep? I don't want to get you in trouble." She said. He stretched and laid back on the grass. "This 'is' where I sleep." He told her. She was suddenly concerned. "So…. Your not going back?" She asked. "Nope." She leapt to her feet. "Why didn't you tell me that?" She yelled. He smirked. "You didn't ask." She growled. "Fine. I'll just go back on my own." She said and turned away from him. He laughed. "Go ahead. You know the way." He told her. She crossed her arms stubbornly. After a few moments she sat back down next to him. "Change your mind?" he asked. She scoffed. "No! I just don't want to go back yet. I like it here." She said. He smirked. "Ok." After another few minutes went by she laid back on the grass next to him. "So why are you in Japan? You're an American right?" she asked. "I'm here to learn." He told her. She waited a few seconds. "What are you learning?" She asked. He turned his head to look at her. "To kill."

~Fades to white~

**C'mon. Snap outta it.**

No! I need to see more!

**You can't handle any more right now. Wake up.**

Ann opened her eyes. Her head was laying on the desk. To anyone else it would have looked like she was sleeping.

Well, at least I'm still breathing.

She spent the next several hours going over the new policies with her appointments and reassuring them. By the time the last one finally walked out she was nearly done with her paper work. Out of boredom she went to the research lab and previewed the new prototype hand gun. After making a few suggestions she headed back to her office. By now it was close to noon. Ann walked over to look longingly out the window.

I can't keep doing this. I have to get over him.

**You really miss him**.

Ann ignored her. After a minute the call box came on. "Hey. Someone here to see you. I told him you were busy but-" There was a knock at the door. Ann called for the person to enter. The doors opened and in strolled Bruce Wayne. "Hello beautiful." Ann turned to look back out the window acting like she was ignoring him. But she couldn't hide the small smile that crept onto her face. "Bad day?" He asked. "You could say that." She told him. "Well, I think I might have just the thing. What would you say to lunch topped with two tickets to the best opera in town?" Ann laughed. "There's only one opera in town." She said. He walked up to stand beside her. "That makes it the best." She smiled. "Well, I am hungry." She said. "Perfect. He extended his arm in an invitation." She looked down at his arm hesitantly then took it and let him walk her out. She told Misa where she would be then they left by way of elevator.

It felt like he had some strange possessiveness for her. He tried to stay as close to her as possible the whole way down to his limo. Ann just tried to ignore it.

Once they were outside she began getting a strange and uncomfortable feeling. It was like someone was watching her. She tried to ignore it as he opened the door for her and she got into the limo. Once the limo was down the road she began to feel a bit better. Bruce took her to another fancy restaurant. She prayed they were seated somewhere away from windows. It didn't happen. Through the entire meal she had the same uncomfortable feeling. She kept brushing it off. But she knew it was 'him'.

If he's goinna watch me I may as well make him jealous.

She began to actually enjoy herself with Bruce even though she knew he was watching. She began to smile and laugh when he would crack a joke or tell a funny story. She even started flirting a little. Not a lot. Just a little. She agreed to go to the opera with him later that night. It took forever for them to finish lunch because they were talking so much. She shared a few things with him. She told him about her father and how he had taught her to be a tactician. He told her about what a great person his father had been and how much he missed his parents. When they were finally finished with lunch he drove her back to her company and walked her up to her office in the same way he had escorted her before. Once he was gone Ann felt a bit lonely.

She went to the couch in her office and flipped the tv on. Misa came in and sat beside her and watched with her. It was the 2:00 news. They were showing the weather. Like she didn't already know what the weather was like. She almost changed the channel when the same blond reporter from earlier came on to give a sneak peek of what was coming up next. "New celebrity Mary Giovanni, the multi billionaire is having no trouble at all fitting in. She was seen today with Bruce Wayne on a lunch date. The two looked to be romantically involved. It seems she's wasting no time acquainting herself with her peers." Ann leapt to her feet. "Sonofabitch! 'Romantically involved'? That little bitch! How dare they! That's an invasion of privacy!" She yelled at the tv. Misa laughed. "They sure are on top of it too. You only got back about ten minutes ago." She said. Ann growled. "You better get used to it. You're a 'celebrity' now." Misa said. "Their making me sound like a friggin high class slut!" "Relax. It'll die down in a few months. So long as you don't give them anything to talk about." Misa told her.

Well, if Joker wasn't watching before, he sure as hell is now. Looks like he's not the only one following me. Ugh. What a pain!

She changed the channel. She didn't want to hear all the slander they were about to spill about her. She decided to go home early after that. Upon stepping out of the building she was bombarded by a sea of reporters asking her billions of questions about her relationship with Bruce. She didn't think the trick she pulled before when she said she would sue them all would work this time. She was sorely tempted to pull out her guns and start shooting people. She yelled repeatedly that there was no 'romantic relationship' and that she had no other comments as she pushed her way through the crodn of people to finally get in her car and drive away.

Ann was absolutely furious on the drive home. She wanted her freedom back. It was like she couldn't go anywhere or do anything without someone spying on her. At least Joker didn't make up shit for popularity. He did have a tendency to take things a bit too far though. But in his profession she really couldn't blame him.

She decided to swing by her old apartment to get the last and most valuable piece of her possessions, her sword. This time, however, she parked by the apartments and called before she opened the door. It made her angry to have to call just to enter her own home. But it was either that or have to dodge a base ball bat every time thanks to Ashley's paranoia. Ann didn't stay long. She was in a foul mood and didn't want to deal with Ashley's constant questions about Joker. She felt bad, like maybe she had hurt Ashley's feelings the night before. But Ash was just as perky and full of cheer as usual. Ann collected her sword and left.

She felt like she had nowhere to go. She didn't want to go back to her new apartment and she couldn't so much as go to the grocery store without getting her face plastered all over the news. She drove around for several hours out of boredom and frustration. Finally she gave up on doing anything to cool her frustration and went home.

By the time she got home it was close to 6:00. The opera started at 8:00. Bruce was picking her up at 7:00 to go eat. She had just enough time to get ready. She went downstairs and placed her katana on its stand she had already prepared. She then went up to her room to get ready. She wore a sleek black cocktail dress that had a low cut back. The bottom of the dress was just below knee length and had a small split up the side. Around the edges at the top and bottom were red silk roses. She wore black heels and pulled her hair back with a clip to keep the majority of it out of her face. She let a few of her shorter bangs fall down loosely. She then did her makeup in a shiny jade green with gold in the inside corner and then applied blush, eye liner, and mascara. Needless to say, she felt like turning a few heads.

She finished in time to sit and relax for a while before Bruce got there. She was standing at the edge of her balcony overlooking the night when there was a knock at the door. Ann sighed. She felt a slight bit disgusted with herself for going on a date with Bruce and wearing what she was wearing. All her life she had hated those people that flaunted themselves in their money. That may not be what she was trying to do. But that's what it looked like. That's what it reminded her of. She didn't want this life. She reminded herself that it was only temporary until she found a way to make it right, then went to open the door.

Bruce was dressed in a very stylish black tux that showed off his figure. He was also wearing a red tie. He had matched her accidentally with the black and red. He gave her a long look up and down. She smiled when he held up a single red rose and offered it to her. "It's not as beautiful as you, but it will have to do." He told her. She accepted the rose and said thank you. She had to admit. His charm was getting to her a bit. Maybe he wasn't so bad.

The elevator ride was a bit uncomfortable. She didn't know what to say. It was silent the whole way down. When the elevator opened he placed his hand in the small of her back and led her to the limo. His hand on her back reminded her of Joker. She was suddenly a bit mortified when she realized she was beginning to resent Joker for skipping out on her. She knew that he was only protecting the both of them. But she couldn't help but feel a bit betrayed.

Once outside she got that strange and uneasy feeling again. She knew someone was watching her. She knew it had to be Joker. The malice she felt gave it away.

I guess trying to make him jealous worked.

If she knew Joker, he was just itching to kill Bruce. She had to admit, it was a bit ironic. "Ann. Are you okay?" Bruce asked. He was standing at the limo door holding it open for her. She had been scanning the streets and buildings for any signs of 'him'. "Oh, yes I'm fine. Sorry." She said and got in. He followed her. Like before, she started feeling better once they were out of sight. She started talking a bit more and feeling a bit more comfortable with Bruce.

Bruce took her to a very nice and very expensive Shogun's restaurant. They had their own private table and the cook cooked everything right there in front of them and did some impressive tricks. Ann ate with chop sticks. She was very good at it. Bruce tried to follow suit but eventually gave up and ate with a fork. Bruce seemed very impressed when she started a conversation with the cook in his native Japanese language. Mushisano, the cook, seemed impressed also. She laughed when he commented on Bruce's 'illiteracy' then relayed the message. He laughed also. They had to leave a bit sooner than Ann would have liked because of the opera. She promised to come back and visit Mushisano soon.

Ann was beginning to get a bit excited. She had never been to the opera before. When they arrived a door man opened the limo door for them. It happened to be on Bruce's side. He stepped out first then held out his hand to help her out. Upon entering the large spinning doors a man looked over their tickets and began to give them directions. "No need. I know the way." Bruce told the man. The man nodded as Bruce led her further into the lobby. There were several people that she recognized to be particularly wealthy. They all recognized her. Almost every man in the area was watching her. Almost every woman was looking enviously in her direction. Several were glaring. With a burst of self confidence she met each of their eyes in turn. The majority of the women averted their eyes. The men kept looking. Bruce escorted her to a set of large stairs that she assumed led to the boxes towards the top of the building. A man at the top of the stairs handed each of them a pair of golden binoculars. Bruce kept his hand on her back. She had the feeling he liked being able to touch her skin. They finally made it to their box and he pulled the curtains aside for her. They were standing on their own private balcony. The carpet was red as well as the comfortable chairs. The balcony railing itself was rimmed in gold. He pulled her chair out for her and she sat down. He scooted his chair closer to her and sat himself.

The band down front was warming up. The classical music was soothing. She hadn't heard any in a long time. "Have you ever been to the opera before?" Bruce asked her. She was leaning as far as she could to look out over the balcony. She smiled and looked back at him. "No." He laughed. "I could tell. They say the first time you see an opera you'll either love it or hate it. But even if you hate it, you'll still appreciate it." She smiled again. "What's it about?" She asked. He looked at the ticket. "This one is Hamlet." Ann's eyes perked up. "Shakespeare? I used to read Shakespeare all the time." She told him. "Well, then I think you'll like it." The lights dimmed and the stage lit up. The band was silent. Ann leaned up to look at the stage. Bruce just sat back and watched her. It was obvious he was more interested in her than the play. "Your not going to watch?" She asked. He laughed slightly. "I've seen it a billion times." She believed him.

Hamlet was a story about a prince who's father dies. His mother re marries shortly after. Hamlet was disgusted with his mother for re marrying so soon. His father's ghost comes to him and tells him that the man his mother married was the one who killed him. Hamlet then goes on a vengeful mission to kill his father's murderer. The whole story is very malicious and dark.

Ann was completely fascinated with the play. She had read the play before, but it was completely different seeing it in real life.

Several times during the opera Bruce would point out things that he liked about the main character and they would talk about it.

Once the opera was over Bruce escorted her back to the lobby and they talked with some of the people Bruce knew. He introduced her to a few of them. She honestly doubted that she would even bother to remember their names. She let Bruce do most of the talking.

At the moment they were standing in a circle of people talking about their favorite moments during the opera. Someone suddenly placed their hand on her shoulder. She spun around rather quickly and barely managed to restrain herself from clobbering the person. She wasn't used to people invading her personal space. When she spun around she was face to face with Chamberlin.

"Ah. I thought it was you." Chamberlin said and extended his hand. Ann immediately backed away from him but hesitantly let him take her hand and kiss it. Bruce was in a conversation with one of the other people in the circle but Ann could tell he was watching. "Ah Chamberlin. What a 'pleasant' surprise." Ann said as politely as she could. Chamberlin made a show of looking around.

"I don't see your pet." Ann glared at him. "Careful. You wouldn't want a repeat of the 'lesson' you learned last time. I'd be happy to point him in your direction." Ann said with a bit of malice. At that Bruce turned around and showed a 'visible' interest in the conversation. Chamberlin's eyes grew in size a bit when Bruce slipped his arm around Ann's waist and looked at him expectantly.

Looks like Joker's not the only one with a jealousy problem.

**Hahaha. This is great. It's like watching a soap opera!**

Chamberlin quickly regained his composure. "Oh. You've made an upgrade. And the two of you were so 'cute' together. Such a shame. Poor Jak never had a chance." That did it. She couldn't restrain her temper any longer. Ann stepped forward and slugged him strait in the jaw then smoothly walked out. Chamberlin was flat on his ass and Bruce had a shocked look on his face. It quickly turned into a smirk and he followed her casually. The rest of the room was awe struck.

Ann had been fully prepared to walk home. She was half way down the block by the time Bruce caught up to her. She had that uncomfortable feeling again. She had the feeling that Joker was watching her. She sure as hell hoped it was him and not some stupid reporter. "Hey hold up. Are you okay?" Bruce asked when he managed to catch up to her. She sighed. "Yeah. I'm fine. I just really hate him." She told him as she finally stopped. She suddenly heard footsteps running towards them. She spun around and began to get in a fighting stance when she realized it was Chamberlin again. He looked absolutely furious. Bruce stepped in front of Ann and put himself protectively between her and the pissed off Chamberlin. "I think you should be on your way." Bruce told him. "Not till that bitch gets a piece of my mind." He said and tried to grab Ann's wrist. She jerked away from him. Chamberlin didn't even have time to blink before Bruce clocked him in the face. Chamberlin fell backwards, this time unconscious. "Come on. I think it's time we left." Bruce said as he took her hand and led her around the unconscious idiot and to the limo that was parked by the door.

Once inside the limo she held her head in her hands. She was visibly shaken. She was so pissed off but she was a bit afraid too. If anyone remembered Joker's name it would be really bad. Granted, no one knew Jak was the Joker. But if anyone found out she had a connection with him they could easily put two and two together.

That idiot was never supposed to come here! This could be very bad.

**Relax. He doesn't know who Jak really is.**

I guess your right. But it still could have been a disaster. I have to stay away from him.

Bruce's hand was suddenly on her shoulder and she jumped. "You alright?" he asked. She sighed. "Yeah. I'm fine." She told him. "Old boyfriend?" He asked. She laughed. "No way. He just wishes I gave him a shot." Bruce smiled slightly. It may have been her choice of words or just the thought of her disgust for the man that got him. Either way, he was smiling.

"What are you smirking at?" Ann asked out of curiosity. He kind of laughed a little. "I was just thinking about how you decked him back there." She smiled. "Sorry. Bad habits die hard." She told him and looked out the window and shivered more out of frustration than anything. After a second Bruce shrugged out of his coat and the next thing she knew he had draped it over her shoulders. She felt a bit uncomfortable at first, but she knew he was only being sweet.

Ten minutes later the limo pulled up to the curb outside her new apartment. Bruce opened the door for her and helped her out. Like before, the elevator ride was silent and a little uncomfortable. Once they were at the doors to the actual apartment on the top floor Ann got out her keys and unlocked the door.

This is really awkward. He's goinna expect me to kiss him.

**That's what you get. Haha**.

Ugh! For once say something helpful!

**Okay. Your spacing out and he's starting to notice**.

Shit.

Ann opened the door then turned around to face the man who was waiting patiently for her. "Thanks for dinner and the opera." She said in a sweet voice as she handed him back his jacket. "So would you like to do it again sometime?" He asked.

Fuck. Now what do I say?

**Your asking me? I'm not exactly a specialist when it comes to this shit.**

"Eheh. Sure." She said a bit nervously. He smiled and casually leaned on the door next to her.

Oh my God. He's not going to leave till I either kiss him or tell him to go away.

**So tell him to get lost**.

I can't do that! He's been nice to me.

**Then kiss him for fucks sake! I don't know.**

But….. Ja-

**He dumped you right?**

But he did it for my protection.

**Uh. Did you forget about the chloroform part? He didn't exactly discuss it with you.**

Christ!

"Bie." She said then jumped forward to kiss him on the cheek then prepared to hastily slam the door. But before she could his hand caught her by the wrist and pull her a bit closer. It shocked her a bit.

Damn! He's fast.

She got a second surprise when his lips were suddenly on hers. She had been so surprised by his speed that she hadn't even noticed when he moved in closer. Her eyes widened a bit from the surprise but after a moment she found herself unwillingly relaxing and letting it happen. Her eyes drifted closed and she leaned in slightly. Then she began making comparisons to how Joker had kissed her. How Joker was a bit more forceful and arrogant, Bruce was a bit arrogant and a bit on the sly side. Then she remembered the first time Joker had kissed her, how he had leaned on the door as she opened it like Bruce had.

That one last memory is what did it. She broke away and took a few quick steps backwards. "I'm sorry. I just can't do this." She apologized as she began to feel the beginning signs of a stress headache. Bruce looked slightly confused. "No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Ann shook her head and held her arms because of the discomfort she felt from the situation. "No. It's okay. It's just that, I just kind of got out of a relationship. I wasn't ready for it to end. I still miss him." For a moment Bruce looked relieved that he had done nothing wrong. Then for an instant his face took on a slightly sad look. "Jak right?" He asked.

Ann was a bit annoyed that he had remembered the name. She looked out towards the window. "Yeah." Bruce gave her a reassuring smile. "I understand. It's okay." He held out his hand expecting her to take it. She looked at his hand for a moment trying to gauge exactly what he was going to do. "It's alright. I'm not going to bite you." He said a bit sarcastically. She held out her hand and placed it in his hesitantly. He suddenly pulled her closer to him and into a hug. She was a bit shocked at first and didn't really know what to do. "I'm here if you need anything." He told her. Then smoothly turned to walk out of her apartment. "See you Friday. I'll take you to dinner again." He said just before he closed the door.

After the door shut she heard his foot steps trail off. She banged her head against the door several times.

What's wrong with me?

**Your psychotic and not meant for a normal relationship?**

Screw you.

Ann locked the door then walked across the room and let herself fall backwards onto the couch. She laid there going over everything that had just happened. Her mind automatically kept going back to the kiss. His lips had been so soft and inviting. She had just gotten lost.

A bit later she went to her bedroom and changed into some more normal clothes. After getting dressed she sat on the bed for a moment letting herself take in all the changes that just dropped in on her out of nowhere. Something caught her attention on the table next to the bed. She looked up to see the bottle of Jack Daniels she had brought from her old apartment. She looked at it a moment then picked it up and took a small swig of the brown liquid. She had no more than begun to stand up when the buzzer by the door went off. She sighed in frustration then went to the door. Upon answering the call box she discovered it was Ashley. Ann pushed the button that would let her through the doors down stairs then went to sit on the balcony in her usual spot.

A few minutes later Ashley bounced into the apartment like some kiddy cartoon on crack. When she saw Ann on the balcony she happily walked out to sit next to her. "So. How did it go?" Ashley asked. Ann gave her a confused look. "What are you mumbling about now?" Ann asked. "Your date with Bruce! Duh. Misa told me." Ashley replied. Ann rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Sounds about right." Ashley looked at her expectantly for a few seconds. "Well how did it go?" "It went alright. Had a good time, he defended my honor, laughed and talked, the good bye kiss, yadda yadda…" Ashley suddenly emitted a series of squeals. "You kissed? Was it good? French or American? I bet his lips are so soft!" Ann's eyes widened at the series of questions that she was about to have an awkward time explaining and her face flushed red. "It wasn't like that! I wasn't even expecting it!" Ashley's mouth dropped open. "Why on earth did you say 'that'?" Ann sighed in annoyance. "Because it's the truth." Ashley shook her head. "There's something wrong with you." She said as she pulled a pack of cigarettes out of her fuzzy pink jacket pocket and proceeded to light one. Ann hadn't smoked in years. She watched Ashley take a drag off the cigarette then Ann took another sip of the whiskey in her hand. Ashley seemed to notice Ann's attention on the cigarette. "Hey. You used to smoke right? When did you quit?" Ann half laughed. "A few years back." Ann mumbled. "I hate to be the one who re-introduces someone to a bad habit, but you look like you want one." Ashley said just before she held out the pack to Ann.

Ann hesitated a bit at first. She remembered what a pain in the ass it was to quit. The only reason she even bothered to go through it was to prove to herself that she could. "Sure." Ann said and took a cigarette out of the pack. Ashley handed her a lighter and Ann lit her cigarette. After Ann took that first drag she looked at the cigarette in one hand then the whiskey in the other. "Here." Ann said as she handed the bottle to Ashley. Ashley reacted in about the same way Ann had with the cigarette. Hesitantly she took the bottle and tipped it up. Before long they were starting to get tipsy. They were both laughing and having a good time. It had been awhile since Ann had actually been drunk for fun instead of drinking to get rid of a migraine or because she was pissed off. Come to think of it, it had been awhile since she had fun doing anything at all. It was great with Joker because he kept things exciting and interesting. She had had fun with him. But 'normal' fun was different. There wasn't anything to worry about like running from the cops or blowing people up. It was nice to just be a bit normal.

"So what kind of kiss was it?" Ashley asked again after they had had a bit to drink. Ann's face turned a bit red again. "I don't kiss and tell." Ann told her. Ashley pouted a bit. "C'mon. He was a good kisser, right? You gotta tell me!" Ann's face got a bit more red. "Okay! Yes. It was a good kiss. Happy?" Ashley squealed. "Well, French? American? Any tongue at all?" Ashley asked. Ann's face was now a bright red. "American." She mumbled. Ashley squealed again.

For the next ten minutes Ann was forced to go over every detail including exactly what she had told him.

For the next hour she went over every detail of the entire evening, including the incident with Chamberlin. Ashley laughed about that. The more they talked the more they drank. Ann was actually having a blast talking about everything that had happened between her and Bruce.

The more fun they had the more they drank of the whiskey. Ashley ended up passing out first. Ann, in a drunken state all her own, attempted to carry Ashley to the spare bedroom. It was quite a sight. Ann stumbling all over the place trying in vain to carry an unconscious Ashley. After a few minutes of falling on her face and/or ass Ann decided to try to drag her. This was almost worse in a way. Ann kept tripping over Ashley who she was supposed to be dragging. Finally she gave up on the spare room and tried for the significantly closer couch. Ashley ended up sleeping with her feet on the couch and her torso and head on the floor. Ann stumbled to her bedroom and collapsed on her bed.

Ann laid in bed for awhile. It seemed the longer she laid in bed the more she thought about 'him'. She couldn't help it. She tried as hard as she could not to. But her will power was slightly 'impaired'. She thought about Bruce too. Once again, she tried as hard as she could not to. It didn't do any good. After what seemed like hours of stressful mental confusion and confliction she finally fell asleep.


	26. Chapter 26

~Joker's POV~

He had been watching her all day. He was a bit ticked off that she was going out with that flashy billionaire 'again', but he kept reminding himself that she was in a slightly different position now than she was before her father died. She had more of an obligation to do what people expected. Granted she had never been the type to do what people expected. He must have been a partner to the company in some way. He probably had known her father. So she couldn't be rude to him. It made sense.

Joker had been surprised to find out that that annoying prick of a pretty boy had moved to Gotham. When Ann had stormed out of the opera house he had assumed that the billionaire Bruce Wayne had done something to make her mad. But no. Chamberlin had showed up and said something to piss her off instead. Knowing Chamberlin, it was probably something that insulted Joker. He thought it was ironic. He had told the little punk that they would meet again.

He was equally surprised when Wayne had knocked the little prick out cold when he tried to grab Ann. He never thought a pretty boy billionaire would know how to fight. Once they left it would have been the perfect time to remind Chamberlin of the threat he had made the last time he had seen him. But if he had stayed to take care of it he would be letting Ann get away.

He felt like he had an obligation to follow her. Especially since the night before when she didn't even bother looking in the ally and almost got herself raped. If he hadn't been there she very well may have been. So he stayed hidden and watched Wayne escort Ann to the limo at the front of the building. He thought it was a bit amusing how she looked in every direction for him. He wasn't really sure how he knew she was looking for him. He just did. When the limo pulled out he and the two people he had with him followed.

About ten or fifteen minutes later the limo arrived at her newly acquired apartment and Joker watched as Wayne escorted her up to the door. He was watching from a building that was about three or four levels shorter than her building. He would have preferred a taller building, but this was the only one that was on the correct side to provide an inside view of the apartment. Joker, Devin, and Sniper waited for them to get to the top of the building. The three of them were laying on their stomachs on the top of the roof. Sniper was watching the apartment through the scope of his gun. The gun he was using was a 308 Tactical Savage. It was one of Joker's personal favorites when it came to long distance sniping. Joker had hired Sniper because of his special ability. Joker would normally have done it himself, but he figured it may come in handy to have Sniper around if he ever needed a shooter in one place while he was in another. Joker was watching the apartment through a set of binoculars.

A few minutes after Ann and Wayne entered the building Joker saw the door to her apartment open. Ann looked on edge. Extremely on edge. He could understand her being a bit upset about Chamberlin. But it even looked like she was having those 'private conversations' that she has frequently when she's upset. She only let one of those show when she was really having problems. Joker assumed they were problems with how much she missed him.

Joker couldn't see very well because of the angle and the fact that they were standing in the doorway. He had a pretty nice view of Ann's ass though.

After a minute Wayne stepped through the doorway suddenly and kissed her. Joker felt his blood boil as his anger level rose unbelievably. Joker was suddenly in an unbreakable silence. He was on the verge grabbing the gun and shooting Wayne himself when Ann broke away from the kiss. She looked even more upset now than she did before.

That must have been what she was dreading.

He would have said that she looked distraught or very close to it. His anger level rose again slightly when they hugged. But Wayne left directly after that. Joker watched the smug looking billionaire walk back out to his limo and drive off.

Ann wasn't looking so smug. She banged her head against the door several times purposely. It wasn't long after that when Ashley showed up. Devon seemed to brighten up at seeing her. It was like he had turned into a silent and heart broken little kid. The dumb blonde was all he talked about. Ashley, Ashley, Ashley. It was enough to drive Joker mad.

After the blonde had been there a bit he found out something about Ann that he had never known before. His little Shadow was a smoker. The building Joker was on happen to be just within earshot of the balcony that the two girls were sitting on. They wouldn't be able to hear Joker and his men because they were quiet. But the girls weren't even attempting to keep their voices down. Joker discovered that Ann had been a smoker several years ago.

Looks like she's about to pick back up on her old habit. And its all my fault? Goodie.

~Bruce Wayne's POV~

Bruce had just arrived back at his mansion. He was floating on air. His date with Ann had gone great aside from that guy at the opera house and the kiss. Well, the kiss was great too, it was what she had said after the kiss that bothered him. It didn't matter. He was determined to help her get past who ever Jak was and move on. So far he absolutely adored everything about her. He wasn't about to give up just because of one little set back. And the Joker had been strangely absent the last week or so. He hadn't seen him or the mysterious woman since the incident at the police station. So his 'Bat time' was at a stand still. It was nice having a bit of peace for a change without having to clean up after that mad man. He still couldn't wrap his mind around that woman though. He just couldn't understand why anyone would willingly want to be with the Joker. Ever since Bruce had seen that woman he had been mystified. It was a good thing he had Ann to take his mind off her. She could be exactly what he had been looking for. Someone to replace he ache in his heart over Rachel. Someone who could melt him with just a look. 

"That's it then. I won't stop till she's mine."

* * *

 

~Flash~

Jak looked down at her sleeping on the grass next to where he was sitting. She was several years younger than he was. He was still attracted to her. She seemed so innocent and pure. But something about her threw him off. There was something about her that made him think she wasn't so innocent.

She looked like she might be a bit cold. Jak took off his gi and wrapped it around her shoulders. She was sleeping on her side so the task was fairly easy. Something just wouldn't let him leave her outside. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and began walking. He had no problems navigating the narrow ledge. The moon gave him plenty of light. Besides, he knew the entire way by heart. Once he reached the stairs he shifted her so that he was holding her bridal style then continued up the stairs. He already knew where she was supposed to be sleeping. He had seen her earlier that day in the village. She had her own room. Well, technically it was a one room house.

Her 'house' was on the other side of the small village. Jak carried her right down the middle of the village. He wasn't worried about prying eyes. Most everyone was asleep.

As he turned the corner he barely caught the feeling of someone watching just before it disappeared. Jak was unaffected. He walked up the stairs to the room she was supposed to be sleeping in and opened the door. He laid her in the sleeping cot on the floor and covered her with the cotton blankets. He then walked out and shut the door, leaving his gi where he had placed it around her shoulders.

As he walked back down the stairs he was able to identify who had been watching him. "Never seen you acting so nice. Even gave her the shirt off your back." The man said. "Hai, sensei." Jak said as he nodded his head slightly out of respect. "Taking a liking to the girl?" Jak's sensei asked. Jak looked back over his shoulder at the door. "Hai, sensei." The sensei smiled. "Go get some sleep." He told Jak, then walked off.

~Fades to white~

Ann woke up a bit earlier than she would have liked. It was Thursday morning. Ann rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but the dream she had had was still stuck firmly in her mind. She still wasn't completely sure if it was a dream or a memory. She rolled back over and looked at the clock. It told her it was 6:33 am. Ann climbed out of bed and stumbled in darkness to the kitchen and turned on the light. She started a pot of coffee and turned around to see Ashley sleeping half way on the couch.

She laughed. "Oh yeah. I forgot about that." She walked over to Ashley and nudged her with her foot. Ashley groaned and twisted a bit. A second later her lower half fell off the couch and she woke with a start. She gave a confused look around the room then up at Ann.

"Ya passed out on me last night, girlie." Ann told her and laughed. Ashley groaned and held her head. "You got any aspirin or anything?" Ashley asked. Ann smiled and went to the bathroom to get the Advil she kept just for these occasions. She handed Ashley the Advil and a cup of coffee. Ashley nodded a thank you and picked herself up off the floor as Ann went to her bedroom to get dressed. "You wanna go out to eat?" Ann called from the bedroom. "Sure." Ashley yelled back. "You wanna borrow some clothes?" Ann asked. Ashley suddenly perked up. "That'd be awesome!" She said and joined Ann in the bedroom.

Ann wore a pair of black pants and an off the shoulder grey shirt. She then grabbed her leather blazer and strapped on the gun that went under her shirt. She had been careless lately and she wanted one with her. She couldn't wear the second one. Her pants were a bit too tight. Ashley borrowed a pair of white skinny jeans and a red tank top. She kept her fuzzy pink jacket that she had worn the night before.

A half hour later Ann was sitting in a Denny's next to Ashley. Ann was looking at the menu. Ashley was trying to decide what to drink. "This one looks good." Ashley said and held up a picture of some fruity looking drink. The waitress came by for a third time since they had been there. "Have you decided what you would like to drink yet ma'am?" Ashley pointed to the drink she had just shown Ann. Ann rolled her eyes.

It's probably goinna take her another hour to figure out what she wants to eat.

**You're the one that invited her.**

Ann continued scanning the menu. She decided on a grand slam with over easy eggs, sausage, hash browns, and pancakes. She knew she wouldn't eat the pancakes. Not all of them anyways. She never did.

Ashley took forever to order. Ann felt sorry for the waitress. Ashley finally decided on a south western steak burrito and fries. After they ordered Ann finally started to enjoy herself. It was nice to go out and eat without having to worry about reporters. Ann and Ashley talked a lot about a lot of different things. The most common topics were Bruce and Joker. Ashley still had questions about what happened with Joker. Ann was in a bit better mood today and the wound wasn't quite so fresh. So she went through everything that had happened. She made sure that they never 'actually' mentioned Joker. She also made sure that no one was listening. That morning there was only a few coffee drinkers sitting along the far wall.

After breakfast Ashley went with Ann to work. Ann unlocked the office and walked over to her desk. It was about 15 before 8. So Misa wasn't there quite yet. Ashley bounced in and jumped on the couch.

Ann flicked the tv on so she would have something to entertain her. It was the news again. Ann turned on her computer and logged in. She was browsing through the last weeks business deals when something the blonde reporter was saying caught her attention and she looked up to watch.

"Hey, Ann. You should listen to this." Ashley said from the couch. Ann got up and walked to sit on the couch. "Police are not answering questions about the number of casualties in the bank bombing last night. Some eye witnesses say that the Joker was involved, although the purposes behind this bombing is unclear. We'll Have more on this story as it unfolds."

Ann shrugged. "Why do I care? It's not like it has anything to do with me." Ann said with a slight bit of distain in her voice. Just then there was a knock at the door. Ann and Ashley both looked over their shoulder to find Bruce Wayne leaning against the open door. Ann Looked a bit surprised. She regained her composure and waived him over.

"Well, what are you lovely Ladies doing?" Bruce asked as he came over to sit by Ann. Ann pointed at the tv. Ashley was transfixed on Bruce. She nudged Ann. "Oh my God. He's friggin gorgeous! And he's all over you!" Ashley whispered.

Ann squinted her eyes and rubbed her forehead in embarrassment as Bruce laughed. Ashley's eyes widened a bit. "Did he hear me?" She whispered to Ann. Ann nodded her head. "Yeah. He did." She told Ashley. Bruce laughed some more. Ashley leaned over Ann. "Hi! I'm Ashley!" She said and stuck out her hand, which caused Ann to nearly fall backwards. Bruce smiled and shook her hand. Ann's Growled and thumped Ashley over the head. Ashley glared at her for it. "What was that for?"

"For tryin to knock me off the couch you klutz of a flirt." Ann told her and crossed her arms. Just then Misa walked in. She threw her coat off and set her purse on her desk just outside the door. "What? You guys having a party without me?" She laughed and jumped onto the couch between Ann and Ashley.

This caused a lot Of arguing between Misa and Ashley and a lot of panic from Ann as she was pushed up against Bruce. He wasn't complaining a whole lot. "Ugh. What is the matter with everyone today? It's like your both trying to sabotage me!" She yelled at the two arguing girls who ignored her. Ann pushed against Misa trying to get one of them off the couch. It didn't happen. After a moment she gave up and tried to get comfortable.

After a moment Bruce raised his arm and put it over the back of the couch to help accommodate her. He was smiling. Ann suddenly turned bright red as her body came into contact with his and he put his arm over her shoulder. Ashley and Misa were still semi-wrestling on the couch next to them. Ann was sill blushing madly. Just then Bruce pulled her into a small embrace and held her there for a moment. That was when she lost it. She jumped up and made for the door.

"Just remembered Something at the lab. Bie!" She said as she ran off. Ashley and Misa had been seconds from pulling at each other's hair. They both exchanged looks. Bruce smiled and got up. "Nice talking to you girls. It was "interesting'." He then laughed and walked out. Ashley and Misa waited till he was gone then high fived.

"It worked!" Misa said in excitement.

* * *

 

Ann was so out of it. She was embarrassed and pissed. Her friends were so annoying. She could almost bet they did that crap on purpose. She finally made it to the research lab and unlocked the door. No one was there yet. If Ann remembered correctly, they didn't come in till around 9. Ann flipped on the lights and walked over to the firing range. She really needed to unleash a bit of rage. She pulled out her gun and took aim at the paper target at the other end.

She unloaded a round then hit the button and watched patiently as the paper target moved towards her. She already knew her aim had been perfect. She looked the target over for a moment then replaced it and doubled the length of the firing distance. She re loaded her gun and unloaded another round of shots. Once again, her aim was pristine. She was starting to feel a bit better. She had just reloaded her gun a second time and was about to zoom the target back down the range to unload again when she heard someone cough behind her. On instinct she spun around and aimed at the intruder.

Ann lowered the gun and sighed. "Don't you know better than to sneak up on an armed lady?" She asked him jokingly. He smiled. "I didn't know you could shoot." He said as he walked over to her. She smiled. "Would you like to learn? I hear I'm a good teacher." Bruce looked her up and down. "I'll bet you are." He said as he walked over to her. "Hey now. You forgot I still got the gun." She told him. He craned his neck a bit to look at the gun. She held it out to him. "You wanna try?" She asked. "Sure."

Ten bucks says he wont hit a damn thing.

Ann handed him the gun and then pushed the button for the normal distance on the range. Bruce walked over to the range and aimed at the target. He unloaded on the target. Ann's mouth dropped open slightly.

**Well, what u got to say bout that smart ass.**

…. Lucky shot.

"Nice." Ann said as she looked over the target. "I think you killed it." She told him. He smiled. "Still think I need lessons?" He asked her. She laughed. "Naw. I think you got it handled." She told him. He handed the unloaded gun back to her.

"That's a pretty nice gun. Where'd you get it?" he asked. She locked up for a second. "Um, it was a gift." She told him as she put the gun back in its holster. "So what are you doing here so early anyways?" She asked. He looked off in the other direction. "Well, the truth is, I'm hiding from my butler." He told her. She gave him a strange look. "Oh. He's mad with me because I haven't introduced him to the lovely lady I've been seeing." She smiled.

He stepped a bit closer to her. "You know, I could probably fix that problem. Would you like to come to dinner at my place tomorrow night? It sure would get Alfred off my back." He said. She laughed. "Sure." His face lit up in obvious pleasure. "Great. It's a date." She smiled. "Sure is." She told him. At that moment his cell phone rang. "Crap. Hold on a sec." He pulled out the phone and answered it. "Hello." Pause. "Yes." Another pause. "I told you-" a slightly longer pause. "Yes I asked her." Another short pause and he turned away from her. "She said yes." He said in a hushed voice. "I don't know. Something nice." Click. He hung up. Ann was giving him another strange look.

"Your butler?" She asked in amusement. He had obviously been telling the truth about hiding from him. Bruce rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. Apparently he's a bit excited. Believe it or not, it's been awhile since I took an interest in anyone." She smiled. "Well aren't I the lucky one?" She said sarcastically. He laughed. "Pick you up at 8?" He asked as she began walking towards the door and he followed. "It's okay. I'll drive." She told him. He smiled. "I don't suppose you need directions?" She laughed. "I think I can find it." She told him as he placed his hand on her back. She noticed, but she went along with it. It was actually a bit nice.

**Touched by a billionaire. How fortunate.**

Ann ignored Akira's mocking and let Bruce escort her back to her office. Misa was sitting behind her desk with a smug smirk on her face and Ashley was still on the couch watching tv. Bruce lingered at the door for a bit before giving her an elegant kiss on the hand and exiting.

And let the annoyance begin.

As soon as the elevator doors closed both Misa and Ashley let out a series of squeals and ran over to her. Ann tried her best to ignore them as she walked over to her desk and sat down. "He is such a friggin hunk! Oh my God! Why haven't you jumped that yet?" Ashley said excitedly. Ann ignored her. "That was so romantic. He's such a sweet heart! He must really like you." Misa told her. Ann ignored her as well. "Have you seen his ass girl? Damn! I'd be all over it!" Ashley exclaimed. "Yes. Yes. He's a hunk that's really sweet with a nice ass. I got it." Ann told them as she tried to find some kind of escape route to get her away from the match making women.

"Don't I have paperwork or something to do? What's with all this 'oh my God he's such a prince crap'?" Ann asked in frustration. "What did you talk about? Did he ask you on another date? When is he coming back?" Ashley asked. Ann threw her hands up in annoyance. "I give up." She said as she stood and dramatically walked over to the couch to watch tv. The blonde reporter was back "New news involving Gotham's new favorite couple. Bruce Wayne and Mary Giovanni were seen together again last night." Ann growled and turned off the tv. "What the hell is with everyone?" Ann screamed at the tv. She then turned to glare at Ashley and Misa. "Oh come on. You guys would make an awesome couple." Misa told her. "Yeah. Not to mention he's super cute." Ashley said. Ann rolled her eyes. "Can we just drop it please."

The rest of the day went by fast. Ann didn't have much to do. Ashley and Misa kept trying to bring up Bruce but Ann would ignore them every time. When Ann got home she felt a little tense so she went down to the bottom level of her apartment and kicked the bag for awhile and practiced her Aikido. She did that for the remainder of the day until it was about 7 pm. She then went up stairs and took a shower. After her shower she let her hair air dry and she then dressed in black and red silk shorts, a matching shirt, and a matching robe. She left the robe open then went to the living room. She sat on the couch for a minute and out of boredom she turned on the tv. With the way things had been going lately she half expected to see some crack pot bull crap about either her relationship with Bruce or one of Joker's crazy stunts. Luckily for both her patience and hot temper, it was just some rerun of House. Ann stretched out on the couch and watched for awhile.

About half way through the program there was a buzz at the door. Ann stood and walked over to the little box and pushed the button. "Who is it?" She asked. "I brought a present for you!" Ashley's hyper voice chirped from the other end. Ann groaned and pushed the button that opened the door then went back to lounging on the couch. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door.

That's weird. No one knocks.

Ann got up and went to the door. Ashley was standing in the doorway with a big smug smirk on her face. "Now. Don't be cross with me. It was Misa's idea." Ashley told her. Ann gave her a confused look and put her hands on her hips in annoyance. "What the hell are you blabbing about now?" Ann asked with an annoyed look. Ashley smiled a cheesy smile then reached over to pull on the other door's handle. The door slowly opened and Ann nearly fell over.

In stepped Bruce Wayne. He was in a black shirt and some blue jeans. He looked her up and down and a smirk appeared on his face. Ann stared blankly at him and her face turned a bit red. It was mostly blush, but a hint of it was anger. She let her gaze drift back to Ashley who started backing up.

"Now Ann, I warned you not to be cross." She said as she raised her hands. Ann grabbed her by her shirt. "Can I have a word with you, please." She said as she rather forcefully dragged Ashley across the room. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why'd you bring him here, you dunce?" Ann asked in a hushed voice. "I thought it would be a good surprise!" Ashley said back. Ann slapped her upside her head. "Now hold on a minute! That wasn't all I brought you." Ashley complained loudly. "He's a 'he', not a 'that'." Ann yelled at her. "I brought you something else too!" Ashley said.

"That's not the point you dolt. Look at me. I'm not dressed." Ann said quietly. "If my opinion counts any, I think you look marvelous." Bruce put in from across the room. Ann felt her face twitch slightly as it turned a bit red again. While Ann had her attention on him he took the opportunity to hold up a plastic bag that looked like it had a box in it. "Look see! A surprise." Ashley said as she pointed to the bag. "Bruce was nice enough to carry it for me." She said as Bruce handed the bag to Ashley and Ashley handed it to Ann. Ann looked suspiciously at it. "I think you just brought it to cover your ass for bringing him." She mumbled as she took the bag and sat on the couch. Bruce closed the doors and sat next to her. Ashley followed suit and sat down as well.

Ann opened the bag and pulled out the box. She looked at it for a moment. "An Xbox?" She asked. Ashley shook her head. "Nope. It's an Xbox 360." She informed Ann. "Ash, I haven't played a video game since I was a kid." Ann told her. Ashley's eyes got wide. "You mean you haven't played an Xbox yet?" Ann looked at her like she was dumb. "No. I haven't played an Xbox."

"You just have to try it!" Ashley exclaimed as she grabbed the box and began pulling things out of it and hooking them up to Ann's tv. Ann rolled her eyes and headed for the kitchen. "You want something to drink Bruce?" Ann asked as she opened the fridge and pulled out a Dr. Pepper. "Sure." He said as she grabbed another one and closed the fridge. She handed Bruce the drink and opened the door that led out onto the balcony. The cold air that blew in felt refreshing and it made Ann feel a bit better. She stepped out on the balcony and took a drink as she leaned on the railing and looked out over the city lights. A moment later she felt someone's hand on her back.

I'll be damned. He sure is persistent.

She turned to look over her shoulder as he stepped up to lean on the railing beside her. "Nice view." He commented. She nodded. "Yup." After a minute his hand on her back turned into his arm around her waist. Ann felt a bit uncomfortable but she was beginning to get used to his affection.

Well, he seems like a nice person. He's got a kind of chivalrous air about him.

**Appearances can be deceiving. Just remember that.**

Maybe it would be a good idea to know more about him. He is making a habit of hanging around an awful lot. I normally don't let people get this close to me and my friends unless I really know them.

**You've been under a lot of pressure lately. I forgive you for your stupidity.**

You can just kiss the darkest part of my ass. Point is, I need to know more about him if he's goinna be hangin around all the time.

"So, what's the most important thing to you?" She asked him out of nowhere. He gave her a surprised look. "Well, I would say family, but I really don't have much of that left."

Ok. That was the wrong question.

"What about you? What do you value most?" He asked her.

Well that sure worked. He went and turned it all around on my ass.

**Maybe he has more brains than yoy gave him credit for.**

"I don't have any family either, so I'd have to say my friends." She told him. He laughed slightly. "Okay. Family and friends aside. Then what would it be?" He asked. She thought about it for a minute. "The ability to protect them, what ever it takes." She answered. He turned his head to look at her. "And what exactly does that entail?" He asked. She smiled. "That entails anything and everything that I can use to keep the people I care about safe. My mind, physical fitness, common sense, and a willingness to act." She told him.

Looks like he's finding out more about you than you are him.

**A lot of help you are.**

"A man said that to me one time. Someone I really respected." She looked at him funny at the lack of detail. He sighed. "He said that a willingness to act was what separates the victims from the oppressors and the protectors. To make a difference, you have to be willing to act." He said. She smiled then looked back over her shoulder to see Ashley still trying to figure out all the wires to the Xbox. She was beginning to look a bit annoyed with the whole project. Ann couldn't help but laugh.

"If you could go anywhere, where would you be right now?" Bruce asked her out of nowhere. Her mind flashed back to the visions she had been having of when she had been in Japan with Jak. "I'd be in Japan. No question." She told him as she looked longingly off into the distance. "You ever been there?" He asked. She smiled. "Once when I was younger." She replied. He smirked. "It's a beautiful place. If you know where to go. But if you don't, you can wind up in places you don't want to be in really quick." He told her.

She looked over at him. "Sounds like your speaking from experience. Can't imagine what would take 'you' somewhere you didn't wanna go." She mused. "I traveled around a lot a couple years back. Went looking for something, anything, meaningful." He said with a slightly forlorn look. "Did you find it?" She asked him. He hesitated for a minute. "Part of it." It was silent for a few minutes and Ashley's constant grumbling and cursing became slightly audible.

There's something deeper about him. Like there's something he wants to keep from everyone.

"Think she has any idea what she's doing?" He asked in amusement as he nodded in Ashley's direction. Ann laughed. "I don't have to think to know that." She told him. He laughed slightly. "So what do you look for in a guy anyway?" He asked. "You asking so you know how to act, or are you just curious?" She retorted. He smirked again. "Just curious." He told her. She smiled.

"Well, he has to be smart. The kind of person that seems to out smart you at every turn. Has to have a good sense of humor. " She told him. He nodded slightly.

"Damn it! I give up. Your system is all jacked up." Ashley said as she stepped out onto the balcony. "Ooh. You two sure are getting close." Ashley said upon seeing Bruce's arm around Ann's waist. Bruce just smirked at Ann and Ann glared at Ashley. Ann sighed and went into the living room. She looked at the entertainment system that Ashley had bungled. She looked it over for a few moments then switched a few things around. She then turned on the tv and the Xbox. "You won't get it to work. I tried everything I could think of." Ashley said from the doorway of the balcony as Bruce took a seat on the couch. Ann picked up the tv remote. "Did you think of this?" She asked as she hit a button. The Xbox logo popped up onto the screen. "Oh. Whatcha ya know bout that. It works." Ann said sarcastically. Ashley flipped her off and grabbed the Xbox remotes. She handed one to Ann and one to Bruce then kept the third for herself. Then Ashley pulled out a game case from the bag and put in Halo 3. They didn't bother hooking it up to the internet yet. In no time at all they were playing against each other.

After Ann figured out all the controls she started developing different tactics to use against Ashley and Bruce. On bigger and more open maps she would use a sniper and a battle rifle. On smaller maps she would use a shot gun and an assault rifle. She had to find the weapons on the maps first. But once she figured out where most of the things were she had no problems. She was whooping some ass. Ashley out did her quite a bit at the beginning since she had actually played the game before. Bruce did better than her also. But after the first several games Ann began to get the hang of it. After that there was no beating her.

They played Halo for several hours before Ashley finally gave in to exhaustion. She mumbled something about passing out then dragged herself to the spare bedroom. Ann and Bruce sat in silence on the couch for a few moments after the door to the spare room closed. "So, now what? Wasn't she your ride?" Ann asked. Bruce nodded. Ann's face fell. "Great." She mumbled.

She so did that on purpose.

**No doubt.**

"Well, you can stay here if you want. Or I could take you home." Ann told him. "It's up to you. I'm more than willing to stay, if you want me to." He replied.

I'm going to kill her.

"You'd probably be more comfortable at your place. I don't exactly have any clothes that you would fit into. Your welcome to try though." She said sarcastically. He smirked. "I think I'll be fine in my own clothes." He told her.

She smiled. "Okay. I'll get you a pillow and some blankets." She said and got up to go to her bedroom. He gave her a strange look as she brought back a blanket and a pillow and sat them on the couch for him with a smile. "Here ya go." She said. He rubbed the back of his neck. "So I guess that means I'm sleeping on the couch?" He asked. "Ding ding. We have a winner." She said happily as she went to the kitchen and got herself another drink.

She was about to go back to her bedroom but she froze as she turned to leave the kitchen. She watched from the kitchen as he pulled his shirt up over his head and tossed it on the floor by the couch. He apparently hadn't noticed her yet as he started unfolding the blanket over the couch. Ann watched as the muscles on his back rippled. He had scars also. Not like the ones Joker had, but they were still there. When he was done fixing his temporary bed he turned around to see her standing there and smirked. Her face flushed and she looked the other way. He walked over to her and stopped. She looked back at him to see what he was up to. He leaned around her to open the refrigerator door and get a drink.

She belatedly realized she was in his way and backed up a bit. As he closed the fridge he kept his hand on the door and leaned in closer. Her eyes widened slightly and she backed up further but her back came into contact with the fridge. She was trapped between his arm on her left, the fridge at her back, and the kitchen bar to her right. He leaned in closer as he sat his drink on the counter and their lips touched softly. Her mind clicked off and her eyes closed slowly. This time she noticed how soft his lips were against hers. It was so foreign and different to her. His free hand moved to rest on her side and he pulled her closer to him. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened. She arched her back slightly when his hands found her hips and he pulled to grind against her slowly. She couldn't help but moan slightly.

**Do something! Move!**

Akira's voice snapped her out of it and she suddenly broke the kiss and ducked under the arm that was supporting his weight on the fridge behind her. He looked over his shoulder at her with a smirk. She backed up a few paces. It was silent for a moment as they stared at each other. "Good night." She said with a slight quiver in her voice then she turned and quickly made her way to her bedroom and shut the door. She stood there for a moment with her back against the door trying to calm herself down.

No way I'm sleeping now.

**Well, now your stuck in here. If you can't sleep, what are you going to do?**

Ann thought for a second. Then she turned out the lights and walked over to the spiral stairs that led down to the second level. She descended in darkness. Once she got to the bottom of the stairs she flicked on the lights and went to the spacious room that had her punching bag. After she took off the silk robe she pulled her hair back and kicked at the bag for a few minutes. Then she paced along the large windows that lined one side of the room. After a few minutes of that she went back to beating up the bag. She alternated between the two for about an hour. Finally she gave up on her frustration and sat in the corner of the room and stared out the window that she was letting herself lean against. The glass was cool on her forehead. She fell asleep starring out the window at nothing.

* * *

 

~Bruce's POV~

He sighed as she shut the door to her room. He could tell that it would take a lot more than sweet gestures and a charming attitude for her to want him. She wasn't the type to just give herself away.

I'll bet she's only ever been with one guy. That's probably why she so attached to him.

He grabbed his drink and walked back to the 'temporary bed'. He sat there unable to sleep for a few hours. For the first hour he was plagued by strange thumping sounds coming from the floor below him. Finally curiosity got the better of him and he quietly made his way to the back bedroom.

I just want to see her sleep.

He slowly opened the door.

What? Where is she?

He looked around and found the staircase that led down. He quietly descended. The lights were on so he had no problems seeing his way once he was at the bottom. He walked down the hallway glancing in the rooms that had open doors. There wasn't much to look at. As he came closer to the end of the hallway he saw a table that had an array of knives and guns sitting on it. It also held a katana. It was black. He could tell the sheath was made of wood. The handle was double pinned. That most likely meant that the blade was folded steel. He got a bit closer and admired it. He noted that all the weapons on the table looked to be part of a collection. He wondered why the silver knife upstairs on the coffee table wasn't with the rest of them. It looked like it was the most valuable aside from the katana.

It must mean something to her.

As he looked around he noticed the black silk robe Ann had been wearing laying on the floor. He picked it up and looked around. He found her asleep in the corner of the room on the other side of a punching bag that was hanging from the ceiling.

She's a martial artist. So that's what that noise was. I thought she was a bit jumpy. She's not used to people in her space.

He walked closer and kneeled in front of her. He watched her sleep for a few minutes.

Well, I can't leave her here.

He gently picked her up bridal style and carried her back through the hallway and up the stairs that led to her bedroom. He laid her on her bed and was about to cover her with the blankets when she rolled over towards him which trapped his arm between her and the bed.

This is going to look really bad if she wakes up.

She looked like she was having some kind of dream. He slowly pulled his trapped arm out from under her and then covered her with the blankets. He then slowly made his way to the door.

* * *

 

~Flash~

Ann woke up in the small cot that was basically the only furnishings in the small hut. She yawned and sat up to stretch. That's when she noticed the black gi that fell from her shoulders. She looked at it strangely then she remembered the night before.

He must have brought me back. Maybe he's not so rude.

She got out of bed and changed her clothes. After she was dressed she opened the door to her house and then shut it behind her, intent on finding Jak and returning his gi. As soon as she was outside she noticed her father talking to his friend at the bottom of the stairs. She got the impression that her father's friend was rather important in this place.

"Ahh. Ann. Did you have a good time last night?" Her father asked her. She nodded as she attempted to hide jak's gi behind her back. Better to not have to explain it. "Did you forget about the festival today?" He asked her. "Oh, I guess I did." She said. He smiled at her. Her father's friend said something in Japanese to a nearby lady who nodded and then walked off.

"Follow Tsuba. She will get appropriate clothes for you." Her father told her. Ann nodded and followed the lady. After a minute they ended up at the dojo. Ann followed Tsuba inside. Tsuba went to a cupboard and retrieved some clothes then held them out to her. Ann unfolded the clothes to see that it was a pink kimono. Ann wasn't to keen on pink. "Um, is there anything a little more practical?" Ann asked the lady who gave her a strange look. Ann sighed in annoyance. Just then the door to Ann's right opened. Both her and Tsuba looked to see Jak turn and close the door. He didn't see them until after the door slid closed and he had turned back around. "Sumimasen." He said to Tsuba. He then gave Ann a strange look. Ann realized that she hadn't thought of what to tell him once she found him. Her face flushed a bit and she held out his gi. "Thank you." She mumbled. He took his gi. "No problem." He told her. It was silent for a moment. Tsuba said something to Jak and he looked at Ann. "What were you trying to tell her?" Jak asked. Ann sighed. "I asked if she had anything more practical for me to wear. I don't like pink, or dresses." She told him. He nodded then said something to Tsuba in Japanese. Her face lit up and she nodded and went back to the cupboard. After a moment she held out a selection of kimonos for Ann to choose from. Ann looked through the stack of kimonos. They were all different colors. At the very bottom of the pile was a red one with black trim and a black dragon on the back of it. She put the rest down and opened the red one up.

"This one?" Ann said to Tsuba who nodded and put the rest back where they belonged. Ann turned to notice that Jak had disappeared without a sound. She felt a bit disappointed. Tsuba helped Ann figure out how to put on the kimono. Once Ann was dressed she followed Tsuba back outside the dojo. Tsuba pointed towards Ann's father and Ann walked over to him. He was sitting on the stairs that led up to the dojo's entrance.

"There you are. You look magnificent." Her father told her. Her father's friend nodded approvingly. "The festival is in a neighboring chukar. It's one town over. I've sent my best student to fetch the horses for us." Her father's friend told them. Ann was more excited about the horses than the festival.

A few moments later Jak walked up leading three horses. Her eyes widened for a moment. He had changed clothes since she had seen him earlier. He was wearing a black silk gi that was trimmed in silver and black Hakama pants that had silver trim at the bottom. He still had his sword on his hip.

Jak is his best student?

He smiled up at her and she smiled back at him with a slight bit of red on her cheeks. "Jak here is going to escort you." He father told her. She wasn't really paying attention. Jak walked up to the stairs and held out his hand for her. She stepped forward and let him lead her to her horse. He helped her into the saddle then he climbed up to sit in front of her. Her father and Jak's teacher got on their own horses and the four of them headed out of town. Ann was a bit annoyed that she didn't get her own horse, but she wasn't complaining.

~Fades to white~


	27. Chapter 27

 

 

 

 

 

~Fades to white~

Ann woke up and sat up in bed with a start. She looked around expecting to see the small house that she stayed in when she was in Japan, but instead she saw her bedroom. She thought back to the night before and remembered the kiss and where she fell asleep.

I must have wandered up here in my sleep.

**I'll just let you keep thinking that.**

Why? What happened?

**Oh, nothing.**

Ann didn't press the issue. She already knew she wasn't going to get anything out of her. Ann put on a black tank top and blue jeans. She really didn't feel like trying to impress anyone today. She wandered into the kitchen to start some coffee. Only she completely forgot that Bruce was in there and that he hadn't worn a shirt to bed. She was reminded very quickly when she walked into the living room to find him sipping on a cup of coffee on the couch. And he still wasn't wearing a shirt.

I hate my life.

Her eyes wandered slightly till she realized he had noticed her. She jerked her eyes away from his chest and walked to the kitchen to get her coffee that he had already made. "Good morning beautiful." He said as she walked by. "Morning." She said back as she tried to keep her eyes from lingering on him for too long. She got her coffee and then went back to the living room and sat on the couch next to him. "I guess blondie isn't up yet." Ann mumbled.

I'm sure goinna give her a piece of my mind when she wakes up.

"Naw. She took off about half an hour ago. Said something about wanting to avoid hell incarnate. Any idea what she was talking about?" Bruce asked her. Ann was furious.

I am going to _murder_ her!

"No idea." Ann said in annoyance then sipped at her coffee. "Well, as much as I'd 'love' to hang around with you all day, I do have a company of my own to run." Bruce said sadly.

"Of course. I can drop you off on my way to work." She told him. "You still planning to drive yourself to my place later? I could easily come get you." He offered. "No its okay. I don't get much of a chance to drive my car anymore anyway." She told him.

After they finished their coffee they rode the elevator down to the parking garage that her car had been sitting in. The parking garage was being shared by several of the buildings in the area so there were a few cars besides hers. "So which one is yours?" Bruce asked as Ann walked towards her Camaro. She heard him whistle. "Don't see that every day." He commented as he walked over to admire the car.

Ann smiled and unlocked the door. "I restored it myself." She commented. "Oh, well I was talking about the pretty girl next to it." He told her. She blushed slightly as they both got in her car. Ann started the engine and backed the car out of its parking spot.

Close to 20 minutes later she was dropping him off at Wayne enterprises. She pulled her car up to the curb outside his company and threw it in neutral. "See you tonight?" He asked her. "Yup." She told him. "Thanks for the ride." He said just before he leaned over in the seat. She turned to see what he was doing and was caught by surprise when his lips met hers in a sweet kiss. Then he was gone.

It took her a moment to collect herself. She drove away feeling strings pull at her heart. Five minutes later and she pulled into her parking spot at Nightshade. After she parked she strapped on her pistol and put on her leather jacket to cover it up. She had a feeling she was either going to need it later or she would end up wanting to go shoot it at the lab.

No wonder he's always wandering over here. It's just a short walk away from his company.

She walked into her office to find Ashley and Misa giggling and talking on the couch. She quietly made her way up behind them. "You should have seen her! She was so pissed at me." Ashley told Misa.

From the way the conversation was going, it didn't look like they had been talking long. "But did anything happen between them?" Misa asked her. That was about all Ann could stand. She coughed loudly right behind them. Misa and Ashley both slowly turned to look at her and their eyes widened slightly. "I swear to God, if I wasn't already, the two of you could drive me insane." Ann told them.

"Oh come on. He's good for you!" Misa told her. "In what way?" Ann asked. "Well for one, he doesn't drag you into mass murders or criminally insane schemes." Misa mumbled. Ann glared. "I'm not having this conversation." Ann said simply and walked to her desk. She turned on her computer and logged in. "Just give her some time. She'll get over him." Ashley whispered to Misa who nodded. "I can hear you." Ann said as she began browsing.

The first half of the day went by slowly. It was basically the same things. Paperwork, phone calls, meetings, and pre approving prototypes. By lunch time Ann was so ready to get out of there she was about to go crazy. Bruce didn't show up unexpectedly so Ann, Ashley, and Misa went to lunch together. They went to a nearby by Subway. Ann had the sweet onion chicken teriyaki. She didn't bother paying attention to what Ashley and Misa ordered.

Ashley kept the conversation going and in no time Ann started to get into a better mood. By the time lunch was over she had told them about her experience with Bruce the night before and about his lack of a shirt. "You were supposed to take him to bed with you. Not make him sleep on the couch." Ashley mumbled. Ann glared at her. "Like I would do that. Too bad for you I wasn't informed of your little 'plan'." Ann said in an annoyed tone. "But you actually saw him without a shirt? Oh my God. I probably would have jumped him if it had been me." Ashley said. Misa nodded. Ann just rolled her eyes.

20 minutes later they got back to the company. They were still chatting and laughing all the way up to Ann's office. Ann opened the door to her office and both her and Misa were suddenly silent. There at the edge of the room staring out the window was none other than Sal Maroni. Ann pulled out her pistol and aimed it at his head as Misa got behind her. He turned slightly to look back at the three of them. "Ah, your back." He commented from across the room, apparently oblivious to the gun on him. Ashley was looking really confused.

"What do you want Maroni?" Ann asked. Ashley thought a moment. "Maroni? The Sal Maroni that kidnapped Misa?" She exclaimed. Ann ignored her. "Well, I came to take you and your lovely friends to lunch, but you were already gone when I got here. Looks like the rumors about women taking forever to get ready are false." He told her. "Go to hell." Ann told him.

"You can put that away. I'm not here to harass you." He told her. She slowly lowered her pistol. Seeing as he wasn't surrounded by his goons and that security was a simple yell away she felt relatively safe. She knew she could raise her gun and take him out before security would ever get there anyway.

"I know you didn't really come here for lunch. What do you want? If your looking for 'him' then your outta luck. I have no idea where he is." She told him. He smiled.

"Ah. The Joker. As much as you might think of me, I assure you my life doesn't revolve around him. I'm much more interested in you and your new found-" he paused to search for a suitable word. "connections." He told her. "I came to make a deal."

Ann scoffed. "Sorry to disappoint, I don't make deals with scum." She informed him. He sighed. "It's a pity. I would hate to have to reveal to the world who you used to be associated with." He threatened. She laughed at him. "Who would believe 'you'? Go ahead. Go tell the world. They'll laugh at you too." The frustration on his face was getting more evident. Misa tapped her on the shoulder.

"Just listen to him. He's really not that bad. Besides, he wouldn't be the easiest enemy to tango with." She whispered in Ann's ear. Ann turned to look at her. "Like I'm afraid of him and his little gang of thugs. Bring it on. I'm sick of having to restrain myself anyways. A little anarchy would be just the thing I've been craving." Misa gave her a pleading look. Ann rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Lets hear you little proposal, just to make her happy." Ann said. "With your weapons production my operations would be near invincible. We could go into business together. Imagine how much money we would make selling weapons to 'covert operation' across the world." He told her. She laughed again. "If I cared about money I could already be doing that. Seems like your just looking for a free meal. What would I get out of our 'partnership'?" She asked. He smirked.

"Well, I could help you recover a certain person that you've recently lost track of." He said. She scoffed again. "Please. You think you can't find him? If you could you'd have done it already. I have neither care nor interest in looking for him. He'll show up when he wants to. Just like usual." She told him. "Seems to me like you have nothing to offer me for my services."

"I could offer you protection." He told her. She laughed again. "Protection from whom? You? I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself. I think our 'business discussion' is over." She told him. He sighed and walked towards them and the door. "Good day then, 'Miss Giovanni'." He said with a slight bow. Misa and Ashley moved out of his way but Ann stayed where she was. "I swear to God, if you try to use my friends against me like last time, I'll put you in your grave." She told him. He just smiled. "My dear, I wouldn't dream of it." He told her then walked out.

Ann watched him till his figure disappeared into the elevator. She closed her office door and let out a frustrated sigh. She looked at the two other girls in the room. "I want you both to be very careful. Even though you've both moved he may have someone following you. Trust no one and don't go anywhere alone if you can help it." Ann told them. They both nodded.

"He may be a bit corrupt, but he's really a nice guy." Misa told Ann. "I really don't care how nice he is, he can't be trusted." Ann told her. "Ok." Misa said. "It's not good that he knows who I am. I'm going to start drawing up paperwork that will keep the both of you relatively safe in case something happens to me. I'm going to take the rest of the day to go down to a law office and have them sort out all the legal documents I need." Ann said as she began to open the door.

"Wait, what exactly are you going to do?" Ashley asked. "I'm going to make it so that if I die or become unable to run the company myself for any reason the two of you will legally have authority over the company until I am able to do so myself again." Ann told them. They both looked confused. "I don't understand." Misa said.

"Like if I get put in prison or an insane asylum or a coma or something like that, you guys will technically be the ones that make all the calls of the company until I can reclaim it. And if I die, however unlikely it may be, the two of you will own it." Ann explained. The two nodded in unison. Satisfied, Ann closed the door and headed for her car. She spent the rest of the day signing documents at Gotham's best law office. When she was finally done she looked at her phone to discover that it was already almost 6:30.

She drove home and took a fast shower. She let her hair air dry like usual and went to her room to change. She wore a slightly pale dress that was a bit sparkly and had some lace frill at the bottom. It was knee length and had a darker strip of green that went from her right shoulder to her left hip and widened as it went down. She topped it off with a dark eye shadow and blush. She then drove herself to Bruce's mansion.

* * *

 

She pulled up to the gates and pushed the button that was on a little box protruding from the ground next to her car. After a moment the gates opened smoothly and she drove in.

Bruce's mansion was nothing short of extravagant. The driveway was a pale white colored gravel that made a long strait all the way to the mansion and then curved in a big circle. Both sides of the driveway were lined with big rose bushes. Every three bushes were red. The rest were white. In the middle of the big circle of the drive was a water fountain with a weeping angel as the center piece. Ann pulled her Camaro up to the large set of marble stairs that led to the large oak doors that mansions seemed to be fond of. Ann parked her car and started up the stairs.

Just before she reached the top of the stairs one of the large doors opened. Ann stepped closer and she spotted a man in a butler's outfit. He was tall with a stern face and no hair. He looked rather nice, but in a no nonsense kind of way. "Ah! You must be Ann. So nice to finally meet you miss." He said with a slight bow. He had an English accent and he talked with a type of pristine punctuality. She smiled. "Hi." She answered with a slight blush.

"Alfred. Stop harassing my guest." Bruce said from behind him. Alfred turned slightly. "Well if someone would have had the decency to invite her over sooner I may not have to." The butler mumbled. Bruce was wearing a stylish black tuxedo with a silk dark blue shirt. The shirt was left un buttoned at the top and he wasn't wearing a tie. Bruce ignored the man and held out his hand towards Ann. Ann stepped towards him and placed her hand in his.

Bruce escorted her up a set of white marble stairs and through a large dining room to an elegant balcony. There was a small two person table on the balcony that was lit by candle light. Bruce walked her over to the table and pulled out the chair for her. She sat down and watched as he smoothly sat in the chair across from her.

He had only just sat down when Alfred appeared with a bottle of champagne. He filled their glasses and left the bottle in a little silver bucket that was on a stand next to the table. Bruce held up his glass and Ann clinked the edge of her glass against his with a small smile. A few minutes later Alfred re appeared carrying two plates. He sat one of the plates in front of her then the other in front of Bruce. "Hope you like steak, miss." Alfred commented. "Please, call me Ann." She told him. He smiled then excused himself. Bruce and Ann made small talk throughout the delicious dinner. The balcony they sat on over looked a gorgeous pond. The water sparkled in the starlight. It reminded Ann of the pond Jak took her to in Japan.

Damn it. Stop thinking of him.

After they were both done eating Bruce stood and helped her out of her chair. Ann still wasn't use to being pampered, but she was beginning to like it. So she let him help her, even though she didn't need any help. He took her by the arm and led her down the stairs and outside to a beautiful garden that was full of roses and other flowers. A stone walkway trailed around a big tree then out of sight. The tree was surrounded by several stone benches. Ann walked over to a nearby rose bush and gently lifted a rose with a smile.

It's been a long time since I actually got to enjoy roses.

She looked away from the rose to see that Bruce was watching her with a small smirk on his face. "Like roses?" He asked. She nodded. "I used to grow them when I was younger." She told him. She walked over to one of the stone benches by the tree and sat down. Bruce sat next to her. "You look so beautiful." He told her as he lightly kissed her just behind her ear. Her face flushed slightly as she mumbled a thank you.

* * *

 

~Joker's POV~

"This is so damn frustrating. I can't see a damn thing." Joker mumbled from the wall of Wayne's mansion. He nudged Devon. "You see anything?" Devon sighed. "Not a thing. Isn't this kind of an invasion of her privacy?" Devon asked. "Not if I can't see her!" Joker yelled at him.

"Can't you just let it be? Your just biding your time till the media is dead right?" Devon asked. Joker pushed him and he nearly fell off the wall with a yelp. "What would 'you' be doing?" Joker asked sarcastically. Devon crossed his arms.

"First of all, I 'wouldn't' be sitting on some dude's fence trying desperately to spy on her. It's too damn desperate." Devon told him. Joker glared and pushed him harder. This time Devon fell. "Damn it dude! That's like a 10 foot drop. I coulda broke my neck." Devon complained. Joker rolled his eyes. "Too bad." He mumbled.

"Stop spazing out. Do something! Your making me insane." Devon told him. "Like what? What am I supposed to do? I get her back and she winds up in the nut house." Joker sighed. Devon shrugged. "So send her a message." He said as he brushed some leaves off his jacket. Joker's face brightened. "A message!" He jumped off the wall and walked towards their hidden car. "Wait what?" Devon asked as he followed.

* * *

 

~Ann's POV~

They had been sitting in the garden talking and flirting for the last half hour. The more they talked and flirted the closer Bruce would get and the more intimate he got. The champagne was really starting to get to her. She was actually enjoying herself.

"It's getting pretty cold. You want to go inside?" Bruce asked her. She smiled. "Sure." She stood and let him take her by the arm. He took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She smiled as he put his hand on her back and walked her to the door that led inside. He opened the door for her and guided her inside then let the door close behind them. He walked her back up the same set of stairs that they had taken earlier.

This time, instead of taking her to the balcony he took her to a different room. It was like a large living room. There were several couches and recliners placed about the room. The furniture was arranged so that the room felt less open and cozier. Bruce led her to a couch against the far wall. It was much warmer in here than it had been outside. She sat in the middle of the big comfortable couch and Bruce sat next to her.

After a few minutes he ended up with his arm over her shoulder and she was leaning against his chest as they sat on the couch. He was softly stroking the side of her face. His cologne was intoxicating.

He slowly lifted her face up so that she was looking at him. Her heart beat increased as she realized that their faces were inched apart. He leaned down farther and their lips touched. The kiss was soft at first.

After a moment he deepened the kiss and she kissed him back. Maybe it was the champagne. Maybe it was just the confusion she was feeling, but she actually wanted to kiss him. He moved forward and she laid back on the couch as his hands glided up her sides. She felt him press against her softly and her breathing got heavier. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his tongue slipped in her mouth. She caressed his tongue with hers and he pressed himself against her a bit harder.

The sudden ring of a cell phone burst through the air. Bruce ignored it and deepened the kiss again. She moaned a bit louder as he pulled at her hips. After a minute the ringing stopped only to resume another minute later. Bruce broke the kiss and rested his forehead on hers for a moment. She realized she was breathing a lot heavier than she should have been.

Bruce's breath mimicked hers slightly. "I should get that." He said after a moment. She nodded and he pushed himself off her and grabbed his phone from the discarded jacket that had fallen to the floor. He answered the phone and she watched as his face fell slightly. He hung up. "Hey. I have to go. Some kind of emergency at the office." Bruce told her. Ann leaned closer to him.

"It can't wait till tomorrow?" She asked. He shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Apparently, it's urgent." He told her. She sighed. "Okay. I should probably get home anyway." She said. She was a bit disappointed. Bruce could obviously tell. He took both her hands in his hands. "I'll make it up to you. I promise." He said then kissed her hands. "You need me to drive you home?" He asked. She shook her head. "I'll be fine." She assured him as he walked her to the door. He opened the door for her then walked her to her car. "I'm so sorry about this." He told her as he opened her car door for her. "It's ok. It's not your fault. I had a wonderful time." She told him. She stepped a bit closer to him and they kissed. She then got in her car and drove off.

* * *

 

~Bruce's POV~

As soon as she was out of sight he bolted to the front door and ran up the stairs towards the music room. Alfred was already waiting for him. "What did you tell her?" He asked as Bruce walked towards the piano. "Emergency at the office." Bruce said as he hit the three keys on the piano that opened the secret door. Alfred followed him through the secret door. "How many times before you think she'll notice, sir" Alfred asked.

Bruce groaned. "I don't have time for this, Alfred." He said as he descended a set of stairs. "That psychotic bastard virtually disappears then chooses when I'm with her to resurface. It's like he's trying to taunt me." Bruce commented in annoyance. "You'll never get what you want if your always out chasing some vigilante." Alfred told him. Bruce looked at him seriously. "What choice do I have?"

* * *

 

~Ann's POV~

It took her a bit longer to drive herself home than it took to get to Bruce's mansion. By the time she got home it was close to 11:30 pm. She was driving a lot slower than she usually did because of the champagne. She was slightly tipsy. When she finally arrived at her apartment she walked up and opened the gate. She then got in the elevator and rode it to the top then unlocked her apartment door. She kicked off her heels and went to the kitchen. She was in the mood to drink. She found her bottle of Jack Daniels and went back to the living room. There wasn't much left since the night her and Ashley got drunk. She smiled thinking about it and poured her a shot on the coffee table. Just then there was a news break and Ann looked up to watch.

If it's more bs about me n Bruce I swear I'm going to shoot that damned reporter.

Ann ignored it for a moment till she heard mention of the Joker. She looked back up at the tv. "-the Joker has apparently taken hostages and his men have the building held down." That was all it took for Ann to shut off the tv. She downed the shot she had poured herself.

He's acting out of jealousy. Trying to send me a message that he doesn't approve of Bruce. He can kiss my ass. Not his decision anymore.

**Please. You want it to be his decision.**

Ann ignored her. After she finished off the rest of the whiskey she dragged herself to bed.

* * *

* * *

 

~~So that's how it went for 6 months strait. Bruce would take her out on a date about once a week, Joker would retaliate by causing some kind of anarchy later that night, Ann would get drunk and carry on like nothing had happened. Ann was beginning to get a little suspicious of Bruce. Nearly every time they went on a date he would end up having to leave early for some emergency. He always promised to make it up to her, and he would too. He just kept disappearing.

Little did she know that Bruce was seriously beginning to wonder about the 'convenient' timing of Joker's attacks. He was suspicious that Joker knew who he really was and it was making him paranoid. He was nearly convinced that the Joker was screwing with him to make his life as miserable as possible before he attempted to kill him. This drove Bruce to want to make sure Ann was alright constantly, afraid that Joker would take her hostage to get to him. Bruce was also aware of 'Shadows' lack of appearance when the Joker appeared. He had been drawn to that woman ever since speaking with her on the roof tops. He was worried that Joker had grown tired of her and killed her.

Ann and Bruce continuously got closer to each other until she actually felt completely comfortable around him. Their intimacy grew along with her trust, but she still wasn't quite ready to go all the way with him; however close they had came to it. Ann was very attracted to him, but she could never get Joker out of her mind when he was around. Her memories of the time she spent with Jak in Japan had ceased, but she still played back the ones she had already remembered whenever she let her mind wander. She also played back the memories of him that a child couldn't imagine. ~~~

* * *

* * *

 

~6 months and 4 days after the incident at the police station and raising bridge~

It was 10 pm on a Thursday night. Ann had been home for several hours. She was literally bored out of her mind. Usually someone came over or she went somewhere with Bruce. Tonight it was dead. Ann finally got sick of playing Halo and flipped the tv over to the news. "-the Joker has apparently taken hostages in down town Gotham. He has made it clear that he has nothing to gain from this and quote 'the pigs should stay far away if they want to live. Gotham Police Department have the building surrounded and hostage negotiators are on the way. Police speculate that the hostages were taken no more than a half hour ago. We will bring you more on this story as it unfolds." Ann had to do a double take. "He's in a building that's surrounded by cops holding hostages at gun point with no way out with no apparent reason? What the hell is going on in his head?" She screamed.

**Calm down. I'm sure he has a way out.**

"No way! Didn't you hear? The damn building is surrounded. That mother fucker is trying to make me friggin nuts! Why is he doing this? He's never done anything this reckless before. He's always left himself a way out and made his reasons for it clear. What the hell is he doing?"

**C'mon now. He always has a way out.**

"I can't deal with this shit! If he gets caught…"

**He's trying to freak you out. That's the whole point. Just calm down.**

She pulled out her phone and dialed Devon's number. She hadn't called Joker or Devon in 6 months. Never even came close to it. But she was doing it now. It rang 3 times then he answered. "Are you with Joker?" Ann asked. "Hell no. I'm not stupid." Devon replied.

"But your always with him when he's doing this shit. You're his right hand man." Ann said. "Yeah. Well this time it's too far. What he's doing is suicide. He's going to wind up caught for sure this time." He informed her. By now Ann was pacing the living room back and forth. "We have to do something. Okay, okay. Do you have access to any kind of weapons?" She asked. "Well, yeah. Of course I do." Ann thought for a moment. "Okay. Were going to need some major fire power if the two of us are going to pull this off. Get some bazookas and machine guns. We'll ambush the cops when they arrest him. If he manages to get away then we'll just let it be." Devon was silent a moment.

"Why should I? He's just goinna get worse." Ann thought for a moment. "Because if you don't then I'll have to do it all by myself and that will make me very cross. Plus if I get caught, it'll be all your fault. And that would make Joker very cross." Ann told him. She heard him sigh. "Fine. I'll be at your old apartment in 30 minutes." He told her. She smiled and hung up.

* * *

 

~Devon's POV~

As soon as she hung up he hit a number on the speed dial on his phone. It rang one time. "Well?" Joker asked. Devon smiled. "Were on."

* * *

 

~Ann's POV~

As soon as she hung up on Devon she went to the bedroom. She changed into some black pants and a red tank top. She wore her leather trench coat. It still had a hole in the arm from when she had been shot, but the blood had been cleaned off. She strapped on both her guns then pulled on a pair of black gloves. She then went to the bathroom. If she was going to do this she was going to need a way to keep people from recognizing her. Luckily, she still had her face paint from when she went on the crazy semi truck ride.

She hadn't ended up using it then, but she was thankful she had bought it, cause she was goinna use it now. She painted her face white and outlined her eyes black She painted two black spikes from her forehead through her eyes and all the way down her cheeks. She then painted her lips black. She surveyed her work. "Perfect."

* * *

 

20 minutes later and she was outside her old apartment listening to Ashley whine. "I wanna go too! It's not fair! I never get to do anything!" Ann groaned. "You just wanna be close to Devon." Ashley was on the balcony and Ann was on the pavement standing next to her car. "Your going to cover your man's ass! Why can't I go to cover mine?" Ashley yelled in frustration. Ann glared. "He's not my man!" Ann yelled. "Well then who the hell is?" Ashley yelled back.

By now Devon had tuned out the whole conversation. "You say the same damn thing about Bruce! I wish you'd make up your damn mind!" Ashley continued ranting. "Oh my God you stubborn selfish little brat! Fine! Find some kind of friggin disguise and hurry the fuck up!" Ann yelled. Ashley hopped up and down excitedly. "Yay! Thank you!" She screeched and ran inside.

Five minutes later she ran back out wearing black pants and a black shirt with a white skull on it. She had her hair pulled back into a pony tail. "How's this?" She asked. Ann's face fell. "Well, I'm liking the clothes, but it's your friggin face I'm worried about." Ann said in annoyance. "No worries yo." Devon said as he walked up the stairs and handed Ashley a clown mask. "Put this on." He told her. Ann laughed at the look on Ashley's face when she looked at the mask. "Okay. Lets get going. No telling when the shits goinna hit the fan." Ann said and the three of them got into the white van that Devon had drove.

About half an hour later Ann and Ashley were sitting in the van while Devon was standing in the crowd of onlookers surveying the area. The van was parked in a side ally that was a few blocks away from the building that Joker was holed up in. After a few minutes Devon returned to the van. "Looks like there's only one route that the cops can take to get him outta here. There goinna bring him strait down this road here. If we get up on the roof of these building we can take out the cop cars escorting the swat van." Devon said after he had climbed back into the van and shut the door.

"Okay. Well what about the van. How are we going to get it to stop?" Ashley asked. Ann laughed. "A good shot at the tires. The real problem is the doors." Ann said. "Well, I brought a hand held cutting torch, but I don't know how I'm going to get down off the roof in time to use it." Devon said. Ashley's face lit up. "I could do it! I took welding classes so I could help my dad at his auto shop years ago." She told them. "Perfect! Devon will be on the roof. He'll take out the cop cars with the bazooka. Me and Ashley will be in the ally here and when the van gets close enough I'll shoot out the tires. Then I'll hold off anyone that tries to come close while Ashley cuts open the doors." Ann said.

"Don't forget about the cops in the swat van. They usually keep one armed guard in the back with the prisoners." Devon put in. Ann nodded. "What about the escape? How will we get away?" Ashley asked. Ann thought about it for a minute. "Me n Joker will go one way and you and Devon go the other. We'll meet back at my place after we lose the cops." Ann said. "Wait, your place like where Ash is stayin or your place like your new place?" Devon asked. "My new place. No one would even think to look there. The old place is to close to the slums for comfort. The cops will be all over that area." Ann said. "Okay."

Five minutes later and they were in position. Ann was sitting on the roof watching the scene from a distance. Devon was sitting a few feet away from her and Ashley was waiting in the ally. Ann was ready to hop down off the roof and into the ally at any minute and she was beginning to get impatient. She had already spotted Batman several times. In addition to the two guns that Joker had given her she was also carrying two machine guns.

Devon pulled out his phone and sent a quick text message. "Hey. Get off that thing. We don't wanna draw any attention." Ann said. He nodded and put his phone up. About ten minutes went by and Ann was officially anxious. Finally it looked like the cops had made an arrest. Ann watched as Batman dragged Joker to the back of the black swat van and the cops prepared to move out.

"Finally." Ann commented excitedly and jumped off the roof onto the white van that was parked in the ally. She then jumped onto the pavement and crouched next to Ashley. Ann was just in sight of where they had planned to shoot the tires out of the swat van. Ann handed Ashley one of the machine guns. "Keep this on you in case you need it. And be ready to bolt as soon as he's free. Batman's a fast fucker. He'll probably come after me and Joker though. But be ready just in case." Ann told her. Ashley nodded.

It wasn't long before Ann could see the convoy of cop cars coming. That's when the fireworks started. There were two cop cars in front of the swat van and two behind it. Devon took out the lead car first. It exploded in a burst of fire as the bazooka hit. The second car ran right into the back of the first and the swat van sped up. Ann aimed and shot. The front tire blew out and the van swerved right into the two cop cars in front of it. Devon was blowing up the remaining cop cars. Ann took aim at the back tire before the swat van had a chance to back up. Then she took out the third tire in her line of sight. She couldn't see the fourth. Devon had just blew up the last cop car as Ann and Ashley ran to the back of the swat van. Ashley fired up the torch and began cutting around the hinges of the door. Ann had her pistol in her right hand and the machine gun in her left waiting for trouble. The two swat team members that had been driving the swat van were apparently smart enough to stay where they were. But they had trouble. There were more cop cars coming from the other direction. Devon was still picking them off. The real trouble was Batman. Ann knew it wouldn't take him long to get there.

"Hurry up and get through that damn door." Ann yelled at Ashley. "I'm trying! This shit is thicker than it looks." Ashley hollered back. That was when Ann caught sigh of Batman. He was standing on top of the building across the street from Devon. Ann shot at him with her machine gun. He moved out of the way. Ann already knew she wouldn't hit him. She was only trying to keep his attention off Devon. Batman jumped strait down from the roof and stalked towards her. She aimed to open fire on him again but before she could shoot he pulled out a ninja star shaped like a bat and threw it at her. It hit and the gun was knocked out of her hand. Ann aimed her pistol and shot. The bullet hit him square in the chest. Batman jerked back a bit but then continued walking towards her.

What the hell is he wearing? Steel plated armor?

She shot him several more times in the chest. All the bullets hit in the same spot and bounced off. "What's the damn hold up blondie?" Ann yelled at Ashley, taking care to disguise her voice. "Almost done!" Ashley yelled back. Batman was about 8 feet away now. "Fuck this." Ann yelled and aimed for Batman's face mask. He must have seen her aim higher and threw another one of those ninja stars and her pistol flew out of her hand and skidded over the pavement to land by Ashley's feet. Ann glared.

"Okay then." She took a step back with her right foot to get into her fighting stance. She kept her left hand open and her right hand in a tight fist so that she was ready to either use a Tae Kwon Do move or an Aikido one. Her body was turned to one side to minimize the chance of him hitting her. Batman stopped and looked her up and down. He then got into a fighting stance of his own, but his was slightly different. Ann's stance left no openings. Batman had an opening in his left side. It was almost like he was trying to entice her into going for it. Ann knew better. She was no idiot. "Give up. Your no match for me." Batman told her in that same rough voice. Ann's temper flared. "Oh you think so, huh? I'll be damned if I get beat by a furry flying mouse." Ann told him.

I'm goinna have to play this smart. All I have to do is hold him off till she gets the door open.

**Just keep on the defense. Don't attack unless you have to.**

Ann waited and watched. So did Batman. After a moment he began to get impatient. She noticed he kept glancing over at Ashley and her progress on the door and every few seconds he would ease himself a bit closer.

He must realize that if she gets that door open he's goinna be out numbered.

**Just hold him off.**

"What's wrong Batsie? Afraid of losing to a girl?" Ann taunted. That was when he attacked. He had managed to get close enough to her to try a kick to her left side. Ann easily slid out of his way to the right. He had left an opening when he tried the kick and she took the opportunity. She jumped strait up and landed a side kick to his chest. He stumbled backwards but kept his footing. Ann went right back to her previous guarded stance.

He was just testing the waters. There's no way he's that incompetent. He wouldn't have lasted this long against Joker if he were.

Batman cracked his neck and stepped a bit closer before getting into his stance again. "How's it comin girlie?" Ann called to Ashley. "Just a few more minutes!" Ashley told her. By now the explosions from the bazooka had stopped.

A fight like this could go on for awhile.

Ann was getting impatient. She had never been the type to just sit and wait for an enemy to attack. She didn't have to wait. Batman attacked again with a punch strait to her face. This time he was a lot faster. Ann didn't have time to move. She blocked with her open left hand. Using the momentum of his punch she rolled her wrist and grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. As she pulled he lost his balance and she quickly kneed him in the stomach. She took it a step farther and punched at his face as soon as her foot was back on the ground. Her attack didn't make it though. Batman raised his arm at the last second to bat her punch to the side. He took the opportunity to slam his left shoulder into the right side of her chest. She fell backwards as the air was knocked out of her lungs. She turned the fall into a backwards roll and landed in a crouch holding her chest. Batman had followed through with the momentum of using his shoulder to roll forward and he landed in a crouch also a few feet away from her. Ann shrugged herself to her feet as Batman slowly stood. He held his stomach for a moment then he sucked it up and stood strait. "Well. Looks like that armor of your's isn't completely impenetrable." She mused as she slid her foot back into another fighting stance. "And your not the scared little girl that I originally took you for." He threw back. He resumed his stance. They were about 5 feet from one another.

If he attacks first again I'll have to block. He doesn't give me time to avoid it.

**So throw him off. Attack first.**

Your right. He's probably realized that I'm just trying to buy Ash more time, so he won't be expecting me to attack.

She could hear some commotion coming from inside the swat van to her right. She could still hear Ashley's torch cutting through the metal. She didn't let it distract her though.

Ann had seen Batman attack twice now. She watched his shoulders for signs of movement. He tensed up just before he had moved both times. As soon as she saw him tense she moved. He jerked backwards in surprise as she came at him with a round house to the face. He barely managed to avoid it as her foot came an inch from his face. She let her foot continue the arch and used the momentum to twist her body. As soon as her right foot was on the ground she turned into a spin back kick. This time her kick landed square in his chest. Her left foot collided with a thud. She kept up the assault and went strait into a step over side kick with her left foot. It landed under his chin and he fell backwards. Batman landed on his back with a thud. Ann held the position for a moment then slowly brought her foot back down to the ground.

A few moments later Batman pushed himself to his feet. He was slightly hunched over holding his chest with one hand and breathing a bit heavily. He no more than got to his feet when there the sound of someone clapping echoed through the silent air. Ann belatedly realized that the torch had stopped and she turned to look at the van.

Devon was standing next to Ashley to the right side of the van. And in the middle of the open doors stood Joker. He raised his hands dramatically. "Love, you don't disappoint. Just as violent and full of rage as ever." Ann stared at him as he bent over to pick up the pistol Batman had knocked from her hand.

She was caught slightly off guard. She had been so hell bent on saving him that she hadn't even considered what to do once she had. He tossed her pistol back to her and she brought the gun to aim at Batman's head. "I told you not to let that go so easy." He said laughingly.

"Save it, clown boy. I got your ass out now get it gone." She told him. Joker looked over to Ashley. "Gimme that gun." He told her. Ashley handed it over. He aimed it at Batman and unloaded a spray of bullets. Batman managed to get out of the way. He ducked behind one of the downed cop cars that littered the street. As soon as Batman moved for cover Joker rushed forward and grabbed Ann by the hand. They took off down the ally opposite the one that their white van was parked in. Devon and Ashley took off the other direction.

They no more than cleared the corner when another herd of cop cars showed up. Ann couldn't help but look back to make sure Ashley and Devon had gotten away. She managed to catch a glimpse of them running down the other ally before Batman, followed by at least 20 cops surged into the ally behind her. Joker jerked on her hand and she stumbled slightly. "Don't worry about them. Everyone's coming after us." He told her as they turned a corner. "Were meeting up back at my place." She told him. He nodded then looked over at her. "Wait, your old place or the new one?" he asked. She rolled her eyes.

How many times am I goinna be asked that?

"The new one, ass hole." She told him. "Why the hostility, love?" He asked as he stopped at a corner to unload another spray of bullets at their pursuers. "Why the hostility? You son of a bitch! I save your ass from life imprisonment when here I am trying to forget you ever existed and you dare to ask 'why the hostility'?" She screamed at him. Bullets ricocheted next to them and Joker pulled her around the corner. "Save it for later, love." He told her calmly as they continued running.

They rounded a corner and came to a screeching halt. They were at a dead end. "Now what, 'my savior'?" Joker asked her sarcastically. She looked around. There was a small pipe going up the side of the wall. It was only about an inch wide. She smirked and put her gun in its holster. "Try n keep up." She told him just before she made a full out run at the wall. She ran up the wall as far as she could before she grabbed hold of the pipe and began to climb. She was at the top in about ten seconds. Joker was right behind her. Batman flew around the corner just before he got to the top and Ann fired at him. He ducked back around the corner. Ann took off at a run as soon as Joker reached the top.

They ran along the roof tops for a bit. Ann was in front of Joker. Up ahead the roof tops came to an end. On the other side of the ally where they ended was a fire escape. Ann didn't bother stopping. She surged forward and leapt across the distance. Her fingertips barely caught the railing on the fire escape and her body dropped to crash against the railing. Seconds later Joker's body slammed into the railing next to her. They both climbed over the railing.

Joker began to descend but she stopped him then opened the window they were standing next to. Luckily it was unlocked. He gave her a strange look but followed when she climbed inside the window. She shut the window behind them. "He doesn't use stairs. Trust me, I know." She told him as they looked around the room. He just nodded. It looked like they were in a little girl's bedroom. The little girl was still sleeping in the bed across the room. They hadn't woken her climbing in the room. Ann quietly walked to the door and cracked it open. It seemed like the whole house was asleep. She slowly opened the door and they crept out of the room and down the stairs. They looked out the window by the door that was in the small apartment's living room.

So far the cops weren't scouring the area, but Ann knew they weren't far off. "We need some wheels." Ann commented quietly. There was a small white car sitting in the driveway. "Looks like we got some." Joker said pointedly. They unlocked the door and shut it quietly behind them. Joker walked up to the car and tried the door handle. "I'll be damned." He said when the car door opened.

"Who the hell leaves their car unlocked in this city?" Ann asked in slight disbelief as she climbed into the car. Joker got in the driver's seat and closed the door. Ann watched as he pulled the plastic casing off the steering column and pulled out a set of multi colored wires. A knife appeared in his hand and he cut two of them. He twisted two of the opposite ends together then he grabbed the other two and brushed them against each other. He smirked when the car turned over. He smoothly put the car in reverse and they drove away.

The car ride was uncomfortable at best. Ann crossed her arms and looked out the window and watched as the lights went streaking past. They both tensed as a stream of cop cars whizzed by.

The cops paid no attention to them. Ann couldn't stand it anymore. She cracked the window and lit up a cigarette. She could just see the glitter in his eyes.

"Smoking's such a nasty habit, love." He commented next to her. "Kiss my ass. You drove me to it." She said as she flicked her ash out the window then took another drag. She was about to put the pack of cigarettes back into her coat pocket when he grabbed her wrist. He pulled the pack from her hand and then pulled a cigarette out of it. He then handed the pack back to her then pulled out a Zippo lighter and lit it. He closed the lighter with a sharp click. "Sure. Help yourself."

She said in an annoyed voice as she stuffed the pack back in her pocket. "Ya know, I'm sensing a lotta tension from you. What's wrong love? Ya miss me?" He asked with amusement in his voice.

"You know what? Why don't you just let me out here? I know my way home." She told him with a hiss. "That's fine. We should ditch this car soon anyway." He said as he pulled the car into one of the street's many allies. As soon as the car came to a halt Ann opened the door and then closed it with a slam. She then began walking. They were about 5 blocks from her home.

He can get lost. I'm done.

**Come on! You have got to be kidding! You've been pining over him for the last 6 damn months and now your all 'kiss my ass'? Damn the pride, woman!**

You can get lost too!

By now she was about half a block away from the car. Joker caught up with her and walked next to her for a moment. She ignored him. After a few minutes he turned around to walk backwards in front of her. She kept ignoring him. He leaned forward and got his face right up into hers while walking backward. She rolled her eyes and pushed past him with a growl. This went on the entire way back to her apartment.

Ashley and Devon were already waiting for them in the doorway to the gate when they got there. Ann stepped up and unlocked the gate. In the elevator ride Joker tried to put his arm around her. She elbowed him. He just laughed.

They finally reached the top floor. Ann unlocked the door to her apartment and stepped inside. "Snazzy pad." Joker commented. "Oh shut it. I know you've already been here." She said over her shoulder as she walked toward her bedroom. Joker began following her. "Oh no! You sleep out here on the couch!" She yelled at him. Ashley and Devon were both wide eyed. "Umm. I think were goinna go crash at my place." Ashley said hastily as she and Devon made for the exit. "Fine." Ann said in an annoyed tone.

As soon as the door closed behind them Joker walked over to her. "I have good news. You've been upgraded to the guest room. Sleep tight." She told him. He threw up his hands in unbelief. "Whadda ya want from me, love? An apology? Gee Shadow, I'm so sorry I can't date you anymore because I could get you thrown in jail!" He yelled at her. "It's not that simple. And you know it." She said and looked away from him.

He sighed. "You need to loosen up." He commented from behind her. "I know. Your all tense from the lack of sex. Wayne aint cuttin it for ya?" He asked sarcastically. There was a bit of distain in his voice. She whirled on him and a loud smack echoed as her hand came in contact with his face.

"I autta teach your ass a lesson in manners." She told him. He smiled at her. "By all means, love. Go ahead." He said with a bow. "Ugh! You self righteous, mule headed, crazy ass, lunatic with a God complex! What the hell is wrong with you? Going in there with no way out! Your goinna make me insane you psychopathic clown!" She yelled at him. "Whoa. Lower your voice, love." He said as he raised his hands. "I had a way out." He told her.

"Oh yeah? They why'd you get caught, smart ass?" She asked him. He laughed. "I didn't. I'm standing right where I knew I'd be, aren't I?" He said sarcastically. Her eyes widened slightly. "You set the whole damn thing up? What the fuck would you have done if I had just let them take you?" She yelled. He shrugged. "I guess I woulda been taken." He told her. "Un-fucking-believable! You're a real piece of work Jak." She said and crossed her arms. He cracked his neck.

"It's alright. I can tell when I'm not wanted. I'll just take off then." He said as he stretched his arms and began walking towards the door. She was a split second from stopping him, but her pride got in her way. "I may have rescued your ass tonight, but don't expect it again. You can rot for all I care." She told him. She knew it was a lie. She had a feeling he did too. He just smirked at her from across the room. "Don't worry my Shadow. Next time we meet, you'll be the one in need of rescue."


	28. Chapter 28

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~You'll be the one in need of rescue. ~

Ann jerked awake and sat strait up in bed. Her heart was pounding in her chest. It was another dream. She had been having the same dream every night. It had been almost 2 months since the Joker had walked out of her apartment, and since then there had been no trace of him. She had been on several date's with Bruce, and he had given no retaliation what so ever. It was like he had dropped off the face of the earth. She was beginning to think that he had really let her move on. It was Friday. Bruce was hosting a fund raiser for someone that night. The details were unimportant to her. Ann was slightly excited about seeing Bruce. Her days basically ran together lately. He was the one thing that kept everything from being unbearable.

Ann's day dragged by slowly. Work was slightly boring as there were no new products to test and all she had to do was paperwork. Ashley had been strangely morbid the last two months since they had sprung Joker from police custody. She was still her bubbly self in a sense, but something was different. Misa was acting stranger than usual also. It was seriously beginning to make Ann paranoid. But both of them assured her that everything was normal.

Ann sighed in relief when she finally unlocked the door to her apartment and stepped in to throw herself on the couch. The fund raiser was at 8. It was now 6. After Ann let herself relax a bit she hopped in the shower. She let her hair air dry like usual and picked out what dress she was going to wear. She picked a black dress that was ankle length. It had red diamond patterns in various places and a slit in the side that went up her left leg. The dress had a very low cut back and it showed off her cleavage. The dress hugged her figure nicely. She wore black heels and she pinned her left bangs behind her head so that half her bangs would flow over her shoulder and the other half was pulled neatly back. She topped it all off with dark smoky eye shadow in blacks and grays. She added some blush, eyeliner, and mascara. She slipped the silver bracelet that Joker had given her back onto her wrist where it belonged. She seldom took it off except when she showered.

Just as she was putting the finishing touches on her makeup there was a knock at her door. She had given Bruce a key, but he still always knocked. Ann walked to the door and opened it. Bruce looked dashing in his usual black tux. He wore a white shirt that was left unbuttoned at the collar with no tie. Apparently he had only worn a tie to impress her when they first started dating. It had gone out the window rather quickly.

Upon seeing her he whistled. "My lady, you look marvelous." He told her. Her cheeks turned a bit red and she smiled. "Thank you, 'good sir'." She said laughingly. He took her by the arm and led her to the elevator and held her around the waist while riding the elevator down. He had given up on the limo early on also. He had traded it for a very stylish and very fast steel colored Lamborghini. She enjoyed riding in it much more than the limo. He opened her door for her and then shut it after she got in. He then walked to the driver's side and slid over the top and into his seat without opening the door. She laughed as he started the car. She took the time to notice how comfortable she was with him compared to 6 months earlier.

The fund raiser was in a pent house that was about 9 or 10 blocks from her apartment. When they arrived Bruce opened her door for her and took her hand in his as he helped her out of the low sitting car. In no time they were at the top floor of the pent house that served for Bruce's fund raiser location. The pent house had an amazing view. Ann immediately isolated herself from all the rich snobby people. She had grown accustomed to staying away from them. They had a tendency to either gossip and spread rumors or hit on her shamelessly.

She found the perfect place to stand where the corners of the large windows met slightly behind one of the white tables that held champagne. Alfred appeared in front of her suddenly. "Some liquid courage, miss?" He asked her. She smiled at him as she took a glass of champagne from the tray. "How many times must I ask you to call me Ann?" She asked him. He laughed. "Forgive a forgetful old man." He said laughingly. "All is forgiven." She assured him. He smiled and then disappeared into the crowed.

Moments later Bruce appeared next to her suddenly. This was no easy feat considering she was basically in a corner that assured no one could sneak up on her. She sighed. "Are you ever going to tell me how you do that?" She asked. He smirked at her. "Opportunity." He told her. She rolled her eyes. "That means no." She said and they both laughed.

They had been standing there for a few minutes talking when she got a second surprise. "Oh God." She said in annoyance at seeing Chamberlin across the room watching her. She nudged Bruce. "You invited that prick?" She whispered to him as Chamberlin began walking towards them. Bruce caught sight of him also. He sighed. "He must have talked someone else into inviting him." Bruce told her. Bruce stepped slightly in front of Ann and between her and Chamberlin as he approached.

"Oh look, its Gotham's cutest couple." Chamberlin said with a bit of sarcasm. Ann glared at him over Bruce's shoulder. "Funny, I don't remember putting your name on the guest list." Bruce told him with a hint of faked confusion. "Possessive much?" He looked around Bruce at Ann. "Don't worry. I think he's much more suitable for you than the last one was." Ann made a move towards him but Bruce kept himself between them. "Careful. I may decide to show you just how perfect I am for her. You obviously didn't cut it. At least I have the sense not to fight a losing battle." Bruce told him. Ann laughed a bit as Chamberlin scowled and walked off. Ann reached up and kissed Bruce on the cheek. His expression lightened almost immediately.

A small band was playing music off in the other corner of the room. Bruce looked at her. "Would you care to dance?" He asked her. She smiled at him slyly. "You know I don't dance." She told him. "I could teach you. It's really not that hard." He offered. She laughed. "For the billionth time, no thank you." She told him. He had been trying to get her to dance with him for months. Truth was she didn't want to dance because the last time she had it had been with 'him'. Truth was she didn't want to dance unless it was with him. But she would never admit that to herself or anyone else.

Ann was just beginning to get bored when a gun shot echoed from across the room and it was suddenly silent. Ann and Bruce both crouched defensively at the sudden noise. Bruce gave her a strange look of recognition just before the source of the gun shot became apparent.

Joker strolled into the center of the room surrounded by a dozen henchmen. Ann's heart froze in her chest and she dropped the glass of champagne she was holding. Ann stood along with Bruce and the rest of the room. The people nearest Joker moved as far away as possible as he walked around the large open area. It wasn't long before he spotted what he had come for.

Bruce put himself protectively in front of her as Joker approached the two of them. Bruce and Ann were the only two people in the room who didn't back away as he came closer. Joker ignored Bruce and smiled wickedly at Ann. She couldn't move. Joker made a move to step closer to her but Bruce got in his way. Almost instantly there were at least 10 guns on him and he froze. Joker turned his attention to Bruce. "Ahh, Bruce Wayne nesc pas?" Joker asked in a confident tone. "Most of the time." Bruce said sarcastically. Ann's mouth dropped open slightly.

He did NOT just do that. Is he insane? Jak will kill him!

**Not good. He's already pissed cause your dating him.**

Joker just smiled at Bruce. It was an evil smile that, to Ann, portrayed a dozen different thoughts that were going through his head. Joker nodded to one of his henchmen behind him and Ann realized that he was holding a boom box. Her mouth dropped open slightly as the man hit a button and music began to play. Joker held out his hand to Ann.

**You wanted to dance with him. Here's your chance.**

Her eyes locked with his and the rest of the room faded from her mind. Ann took a step forward and Bruce made to stop her. Several goons held him back as Ann placed her hand in Joker's. She confidently let him lead her away from Bruce and out onto the dance floor.

As soon as there was room he pulled on her hand and she spun around into his arms. He immediately dipped her backwards and made a show of running his hand from her shoulder to her hip as he slowly brought her upright. He guided her across the room and made a flashy display of twirling her out then bringing her back to him. A wicked smile played on his face when he spun her directly in front of Bruce then pulled her back across the room. He pulled her back against his chest and pressed her ass against him. She unconsciously bit her lip at the contact. His breath on her neck made her shiver.

At the last moment of the song he tipped her again and when he brought her back up he kissed her passionately. The music stopped and he let go of her. She stood staring at him for a moment before her instincts kicked in and she backed away.

Her emotions bubbled to the surface. There was only one reason for a display like that. He was going to take her. By force. Terror flooded her at the thought. Terror at being forced to face her emotions for him.

The exit was a few feet to her left. She darted for it and disappeared down the flight of stairs. He just let her go with a laugh.

* * *

 

~Joker's POV~

Just after she disappeared from sight he looked around the room. Wayne was gaping at him in a slight sense of morbid horror. But it wasn't Bruce that Joker placed his attention on. Chamberlin was cowering behind a crowd of people. "First things first." Joker pulled out a gun and aimed in Chamberlin's general location. Everyone moved except Chamberlin, who was transfixed with terror. "I- It's you. You!" He stammered. "Tsk, tsk. I told you we'd meet again Chamberlin." Joker said mockingly. He pulled the trigger and hot blood splattered the windows. The man fell to the floor dead. Only then did he turn his attention on Bruce Wayne. There was noise coming from off to his left. He turned around to discover that nearly half of his men were on the ground either unconscious or with a broken arm.

"Hmm. This should be fun."

* * *

 

~Ann's POV~

Half way down the stairs another gun shot startled her and she jumped. She nearly lost her footing on the stairs. She was suddenly worried for Bruce and almost turned around to go back.

**He won't kill him. Not till he can completely humiliate him.**

You don't think that 'display' was enough?

**Not nearly.**

Ann continued down the stairs. When she finally made it to the ground level she bolted out the doors and down the sidewalk toward her apartment. After the first 3 steps she kicked her heels off to run faster. It began to rain.

* * *

 

~Joker's POV~

"I'll be damned. That slippery sod got away." He said as he looked around to see that all but two of his men were down for the count. Devon and Sniper were the only two Wayne hadn't beaten senseless.

I swear his techniques look so familiar.

He shrugged it off and set off towards Ann's apartment.

* * *

 

~Ann's POV~

She got to her apartment fairly quickly, considering. The first thing she did was go strait for her pistols. She had been keeping one under her pillow the other one along with the holsters were under the bed. She brought both pistols into the living room. She was in a state of panic. She paced the room several times.

After a moment she collected herself a bit and ran back to the bed room and dragged her old gym bag out of the closet. She dumped the contents out and began stuffing practical clothes into it.

What do I do?

**What can you do? If anyone asks about it just say you figure you didn't have much of a choice about it.**

After she had a sufficient amount of clothes in the bag she grabbed the leather trench coat that she used to wear. She had had the bullet hole in the arm professionally patched. 

Im such an idiot! He's coming to get me! It wasn't just a display to humiliate me or Bruce. He's going to try to take me! That's why he said I would need rescuing.

She returned to the living room. She tossed her coat on the counter and dropped the bag of clothes. She ran to her discarded purse and grabbed her wallet so she would have some cash then threw it into the bag after grabbing her car keys.

**What the hell are you doing?**

I'm getting the fuck outta here before he drags me away by my hair.

**Are you friggin serious? Your running?**

What else am I supposed to do? This isn't exactly covered in the 'what to do in case of emergency' manual.

**You can go head to head with him. Your probably the only one in the world capable of it!**

I manage to scrape by barely. If he really wanted to he could kill me and you know it. If he comes for me I won't be able to stop him.

**Is that going to keep you from trying? Calm the fuck down.**

I am calm!

Just then the doors burst open. She was jolted from her thoughts as Bruce entered her apartment. He was soaking wet like she had been. She was relieved to see he was alive. She was about to go to him but the look in his eyes said she had better not. His jacket was gone. His white shirt was nearly transparent from the rain. He had a gash on the side of his face and she could see bruises on his arms. "Oh my God. Are you alright?" She asked as she stepped toward him.

"It was you. It was you the whole time." He told her. He was slightly out of breath and looked very frustrated. She gave him a confused look. "There's no time for this. You have to leave before he get's here!" She told him as she tried to push him out the door. He shrugged her off him.

"It was you on the roof top. Your Shadow." He stated. Her eyes widened slightly and she backed away from him. "How do you know that name?" She asked as she glanced to her guns across the room. She gasped as realization struck her. "The only person that ever chased me on the roof tops. You? Your Batman?" She yelled. They stared each other down for a minute. She had been completely thrown off guard. She didn't know what to say.

**Tick tock.**

"Damn it! It doesn't fucking matter. You have to leave! Before he get's here." She told him. He didn't move. "You idiot! Get out! Don't you understand? He'll kill you!" She yelled. "Let. Him. Try." Bruce stated. Ann ran her hand through her hair in frustration.

"I was trying to forget all this madness." She told him. "My life's been a wreck ever since he dropped into it." She said.

"Two damn months ago you tried to kill me to save him." He told her coldly. "For fucks sake! I didn't know it was you! How the hell could I have?" She shot back. "How long have you been trying to forget him?" He asked. She crossed her arms and looked away. "Since my father died." It was silent for another minute. "Damn it Bruce you have to go! Go now before he get's here."

There was a knock at the door and the two of them both jerked to see Joker leaning in the door frame. "Too late." He stated bluntly. Ann's body locked up. Joker pushed himself out of the doorway smoothly.

"Your quite a surprise, Wayne. I'll be damned if this mother fucked didn't take down 10 of my men to get here before me." He said as he walked their direction.

Bruce looked over his shoulder at her. "This is your ex? This is the one you were so torn up over? This is Jak!" He yelled. Joker looked at Ann. "You told him my name?" he sneered as he walked towards her. She backed away.

"Of course not. That idiot Chamberlin blurted it out at the opera house." She corrected him. "Oh. So that's what got you so upset that night. Lemme guess. He made some smart ass insult about me and you lost your temper." Joker said sarcastically as he continued to walk towards her.

"You stay the hell away from her." Bruce warned him. "Ugh! What is it with you people? You don't know when to keep your damn mouth shut!" Ann yelled at Bruce. "So much hostility, love. Is it the sex again?" Joker asked then doubled over in laughter.

Ann's temper rose. "Listen up you friggin nut case of a control freak!" She said as she walked right up in his face. "This is MY life! I though I made that perfectly clear. I do what I want when I want. You can't control me! So back the 'fuck' off!" She yelled at him, shoving him in the chest. "How the hell could you possibly fall in love with this psycho?" Bruce asked in disbelief.

Ann looked expectantly at Joker "How long have we known each other, Jak?" She asked him sarcastically. Joker thought for a moment. "I'd say close to a year." He told her. "You bloody liar! How long has it really been? When the hell were you planning to tell me?" She yelled as she landed a punch square to his jaw.

Joker cocked his head to the side and flexed his jaw. "Ah, you finally remembered. I guess that cocky conversation starter in your head is good for something after all." He mused as he walked towards her. "Leave her alone." Bruce told him. Joker laughed. "Your defending the wrong girl. She's the only person in this world who need not fear me. She's one of the only people 'still alive' that can actually stand up to me in a fight. I've had enough of this." Joker said as he pulled out a gun and aimed it at Bruce. Ann turned to face him. As soon as he went for the gun she went for hers on the counter that she had been backing towards. She got hers up at the same time as him and slowly stepped between Joker and Bruce.

Bruce tried to pull her behind him but she just knocked his hand away. "You would choose him over me?" Joker asked. She scoffed. "That crap won't work on me this time. I'm not moving." Joker glared. "That's it. I'm not going to let some crazy menace threaten me or you!" Bruce told her and tried to push her out of the way. She turned to face him but kept her gun aimed at Joker. "Crazy menace? How can you call him a crazy menace? You two are so damn alike it's infuriating. The only difference between you is he wears a clown suit and you dress up like a b-" She cut herself off mid sentence with a small wince.

**BAT**.

Joker lowered his gun slightly behind her and threw an intrigued look Bruce's way. "Finish your sentence, love." Joker commanded her. She turned back around to look at him.

Fuck. I screwed up big.

"Why should I?" She demanded. "What does Wayne do in his spare time? Finish your sentence." He growled.

That's it.

She ignored him and grabbed her bag as she walked toward the door. "Where do you think your going?" Joker asked her. "I'm done trying to deal with the both of you. I'm leaving." She said as she continued towards the door. Joker looked at her strangely. "You would leave a person you care about behind for me to kill?" He asked. Ann turned and looked at the both of them. "He can take care of himself." She stated confidently then turned around to leave.

"Interesting. Either you don't give a damn about him, or you really believe he could hold his own with me. Beside's you, there's only one person who comes close to that description." Joker said to her. She threw a look over her shoulder.

"Think whatever you want. I'm gone." She told him. Joker made a move to stop her but before he could Bruce caught him in the side of the face with a punch. Ann froze. Joker cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. "That actually kinda hurt, pretty boy." Joker laughed sarcastically just before he landed a punch to Bruce's jaw that knocked him back a few steps. Joker stalked after him.

"Stop it Joker." Ann told him. Joker looked back over his shoulder at her. "Say the magic word, love." He told her. Ann crossed her arms in defiance and Joker landed a front kick to Bruce that knocked him on his back. "Damn it! Stop!" She yelled at him angrily. Joker tried to stomp on Bruce's face He managed to roll out of the way just in time. Joker kicked him in the side and he 'oofed' as he came up off the ground for a moment.

Ann ran up to him and tried pull him away. She was stopped short as Joker's hand snapped up to catch her by the throat. He wasn't suffocating or hurting her. Just holding her tight enough to keep her still. He turned to look at her. "You don't get between two men when their fighting, Love." He told her casually. She swung at him in anger but it never connected. His arms were significantly longer than hers and she couldn't quite reach. He just tilted his head back and laughed.

By now Bruce had picked himself up. Joker pushed Ann away and she stumbled backwards into the kitchen counter.

**I think he's just a bit ticked off at you.**

A moment later Bruce lunged at Joker. He didn't have enough time to move and Bruce tackled him to the ground. His gun clattered across the room. Bruce got in several good punches in his ribs before Joker elbowed him in the back. Bruce jerked back in pain and Joker punched him hard in the jaw. Bruce fell backwards.

"Joker Stop it!" Ann screamed at him as he stood and looked at her. "Say please." He told her a bit forcefully. She stayed silent. Joker shrugged and walked to where Bruce was still on the floor and kicked him in the side again. "Stop!" Joker kicked him again.

A gun shot rang through the building. Joker turned to look at Ann who had aimed the gun at the ceiling and fired. She was tense and rigid and her eyes were tightly closed like she was in pain. She sighed and lowered the gun as Joker waited expectantly. Bruce was still trying to catch his breath on the ground. "Please." She said forcefully.

A smile slowly spread on his face. "Well it's about time." He said as he walked over to where Bruce was. "I said please! Just leave him alone." She said urgently. "First thing's first." He told her just before he kicked Bruce hard in the face. Bruce collapsed unconscious. She glared at him as he walked to her and slowly took her gun from her hands. "Wouldn't want ya to do anything brash." He explained. She glared at him as he grabbed the other gun off the counter and threw them both in the bag that she had 'packed' for herself earlier. "Oh good. You already packed." He commented as he shoved her coat into the bag. "Dev!" He yelled. Devon walked around the corner and Joker tossed the bag to him.

Devon quickly exited and Joker walked to the bedroom. Ann followed him with an annoyed look on her face. "This is my place damn it! You can't waltz in here and do what ever you want!" She yelled as she followed him. He ignored her and descended down the stairs in her bedroom. She was about to follow him but he was already on his way back up the stairs a few moments later. And he was carrying her sword.

Joker walked back over to her casually like nothing had happened and grabbed her by the wrist. "Time to go." He told her as he jerked her through the door of her apartment and shoved her into the elevator. He stepped in after her and pushed the button. Ann crossed her arms. "And where exactly are we going?" Ann asked. She never really expected an answer.

The moment she took her eyes off him she was suddenly slammed up against the wall with his lips on hers. Fighting back never even occurred to her as he gripped her hips and slammed his midsection against her. She moaned in his mouth as his hands explored her body and he forcefully kissed her. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck.

He broke the kiss as the elevator reached the bottom and the doors began to open. He reached over and pushed the button to close the doors.

When he looked back at her his eyes we're almost feral. She repressed a shudder. His lipes hit hers again as he grinded into her. Her eyes rolled back from the contact as he nipped and sucked at her bottom lip and she groaned.

"Mmm. You really were being starved. How bad was it?" He asked whe. He broke the kiss. She glared at him. "I never slept with him you ass." She told him as she broke away from him and hit the button to open the doors. Stepping out of the elevator, she felt a tear roll down her face. It was a good thing it was raining.

"Never?" he asked in slight disbelief. "That's right, never. I was to damn busy trying to stop thinking of you." She snapped. He started to move towards her but she stepped out into the rain.

She looked to her left to see Devon standing next to a guy she didn't know. The man was about Devon's height with blond hair down to his ear. He had an impressive looking rifle slung over his back. She looked at him a bit closer. There was something familiar about him. Realization struck. "You're the guy from the hotel!" She said in surprise. He held out his hand. "That'd be me. Sniper." She shook his hand. Joker stepped out behind her just before he took her by the wrist and dragged her towards a white van that was idling on the curb.

Half way to the van she jerked her hand out of his grip. "Damn it! I'm perfectly capable of walking without attention! I'm not goinna try to run away." She told him irritably. He smiled. "Apologies, love. I expected more of a fight with you." He told her. She scoffed at him. He just held out his hand in invitation. She looked at him for a moment before she hesitantly placed her hand in his and let him take her to the van, a bit more gently this time. He opened the sliding side door and she got in the van.

The van's seating was a bit different than the usual ones. There were regular drivers and passengers seat but the back seats were sideways along the two walls framing the door. There was a big open area in between the two long seats. There were about 6 green army style duffle bags in the open area at her feet. Ann sat on one of the benches at the very back corner of the van. She noticed that there was a long box that had a silver lining on the outside on the bench across from her. She had seen similar boxes before that were used to store swords and she knew that he must have been taking his katana where ever they were going.

She crossed her arms and sat waiting. He handed her sword to her then took a seat next to her. She suddenly had a bit of a sinking feeling.

If he wants me to take my sword then were probably going to be gone for awhile.

**At least you don't have to worry about the police confiscating it when Bruce spills the whole story.**

Good point.

Devon drove and Sniper rode shot gun. It wasn't very long before her soaking wet hair began to make her cold and she soon started to shiver. She tried to control it so that it didn't look like she was cold. But she couldn't control all of the shivers. Joker had apparently noticed despite her efforts. He took off his long purple trench coat and tried to give it to her. She glared at him.

"I'm fine." She told him. He sighed in annoyance. "Just take it. I know your cold." He said. "I told you, I'm fine." She snapped. "Damn it. Stop being stubborn and take it." He shoved the coat at her. She reluctantly sat up and let him drape the coat over her shoulders. She then leaned back. "Thank you." She said after a minute. He just nodded.

Ann was expecting to be taken to some warehouse or hideout on the border of town. That's not what happened. As soon as they were out of the city Sniper leaned his seat back and went to sleep. Joker had already made himself comfortable by propping his feet up on the duffle bags and leaning back against the wall with his hands stretched behind his head. After another half hour of driving Ann was getting anxious. She was ready to get the hell out of the van so she had some space.

"You still haven't told me where were going." She said to Joker. He winked at her. "It's a surprise." She rolled her eyes. "Great. A surprise. That just makes my day." She said letting the sarcasm flow freely. He smiled, obviously pleased with her annoyance.

* * *

Another several hours went by and she began to realize that they weren't going to be stopping anytime soon. By then she had gotten herself more comfortable also. She propped her feet on the duffle bags and leaned back like Joker had. She sat the base of her katana on the floor of the van and wrapped her arm around it so it leaned against her shoulder. She rested her head against the cold steel of the back door and stared out the glass of the back window.

Another 4 or 5 hours later and she was beginning to have trouble staying awake. Sniper had woken up about half an hour earlier. Devon pulled over on the side of the highway and they traded places. Sniper drove and Devon went to sleep in the seat. Joker looked like he was already sleeping. Ann finally gave in and let herself drift off.

* * *

 

~Joker's POV~

He opened his eyes and glanced over at her. It looked like she was asleep. She had been like that for awhile. He watched her sleep for a minute.

Damn.

The van hit a bump in the road and she bounced slightly and began to fall forward. He leaned up to catch her. He was about to lean her back where she was when she leaned over into his chest. He was a bit surprised at first then he wrapped his arm around her and held her closer.

He looked up at Sniper. "Hey, how long?" Joker asked. Sniper glanced back over his shoulder. "I'd say about two or three hours, boss." Sniper told him. Joker nodded. "Wake me up when we get there." He instructed. Sniper nodded and Joker relaxed a bit.

Joker woke up to someone's hand on his shoulder. His eyes shot open and he grabbed the person's wrist. After a moment he let go when he realized it was Sniper. "Were here, boss." He said. Joker could see the fear that had coursed through the man. He nodded as Devon began collecting the army bags. Joker looked down to see Ann still sleeping in his arms. He stood and picked her up bridal style then exited the van. Joker sat her feet on the ground and grabbed a few of the green bags and threw them over his shoulder while holding her with one hand. He then picked her back up. She was still clinging to her sword and wearing his coat. "The cabin is over there. Yours is the one on the left." Sniper told Joker. He nodded. "This is your show. I'll let you take care of the details." Joker told him as he began to walk off. "The ride leaves at 6 am sharp. So be ready." Sniper called after him.

Joker carried her up a small hill to the area where the cabins were. There were 4 or 5 cabins. Joker opened the door that led to the cabin that Sniper had indicated was his and walked in. It was a small cabin with only one room that served as a bed room and living room in one. A small bathroom was slightly off to one side at the back of the cabin. Joker walked over to the bed and laid her down on the side away from the door. He then threw the two bags he had been carrying on the floor. There was a knock on the door and Devon came in carrying two more bags and the silver case that held his katana. He threw the bags next to the two on the floor and then sat the silver box on the table. Joker mumbled a thanks as Devon walked out. "See ya in the morning." Devon said over his shoulder. Joker sighed and ran his hand through his hair as he looked back at Ann sleeping on the bed. He walked over to her and slid her sword out of her arms and placed it next to his. He then took his vest and shirt off. He sat down on the edge of the bed next to her and began rummaging though the two bags that were filled with her clothes and belongings that Devon and Sniper had packed. He found a pair of silk pajama bottoms and tossed them on the bed. In the process of digging through the bags he found the pair of pistols he had given her. He laid them on the table next to her sword then returned to her.

She's not goinna be happy bout this.

He took his coat and threw it in a nearby chair then picked her up so that she was sitting on the bed and unzipped her dress. He then laid her back down and slid the dress off her and stopped as a wave of shock coursed through him. She was still wearing the necklace he had given her that carried the bullet he had pulled out of her arm. He looked at her wrist. Sure enough, there was the bracelet.

He put the pajamas on her then slipped one of his black shirts over her head. He covered her with the blankets then turned off the light. He finished undressing then took a quick shower. Then he climbed in bed with her.

* * *

 

~Ann's POV~

She woke up to the sound of someone knocking on a door. She groaned and sat up to look around. It looked like she was in a small one room cabin. The knocking persisted. "What?" She yelled towards the door. "Breakfast in 30 minutes." Devon called from the other side. "Fine." She said just before she heard his footsteps trail off. She glanced to her left to see Joker sleeping next to her. She shook him. "Hey. Wake up." She said. No response. She growled in annoyance. "I know your awake damn it. You don't sleep that heavy." She said and shook him again. He smirked and grabbed her wrists then rolled to flip her on her back. "Good morning, love." He purred. He still had hold of her wrists and she struggled a bit. He just pinned her arms above her head. She rolled her eyes and looked off to the side. His make up was gone. She had almost forgotten what he looked like with out the makeup. Her eyes wandered down his chest before she reminded herself that she was pissed at him and she looked away again.

He smiled. "You 'did' miss me." He commented. "Fucking tease." She mumbled. He grinded against her. She tensed and sucked in a breath. He leaned down and kissed her sweetly. She closed her eyes and leaned into him to deepen the kiss. After a moment he broke away and rolled off her. The kiss had left her breathless.

She watched as he got out of bed and pulled on a pair of black pants then he put on the same studded belt that had 'Life is a Joke' written on the back of it. After he laced up a pair of boots he looked over his shoulder at her. "Kinda need that, love." She looked down to see that she was wearing one of his black shirts. She glared at him and pulled it over her head before throwing it at his face. He caught it and pulled it on. He smelled the shirt. "Mmm. It's still warm." He said tauntingly. She ignored him and pulled the covers up around her. "Here" He said as he tossed her a pair of her pants and one of her black tank tops. She got dressed in the clothes he had given her. Jak nodded at her guns on the table. She picked them up and strapped them on. She looked around for a jacket to cover up the one on her back.

She finally found her leather trench coat in one of the bags. That annoyed her. She started trying to smooth out the wrinkles that had been caused by someone stuffing it in the bag. Also in the bag she found one of her black and silver studded belts and her favorite knife. She put the belt on then slipped the knife to rest in its usual place. Joker was waiting for her with his black leather coat thrown over his shoulder as she buckled the belt. She followed him out the door.

As soon as she was outside she froze. At the base of the hill they were standing on there was a large tarmac runway that you see at air ports. On the left hand side of the runway were a series of big metal buildings. On the right side of the runway were a series of large green buildings. "What the hell? What is this?" She asked. He looked back over his shoulder at her. "It's an Army supply base." He told her before he continued walking. Her mouth dropped open and caught back up to him. "An army supply base? What the hell are we doing here?" She asked. He smiled and put his free hand in his pocket. "Catching a ride." She gave him a strange look but shrugged it off.

After a minute of walking they got to one of the buildings and Jak opened the door for her. She stepped inside to find that it was a mess hall. The whole room was filled with tables. Men dressed in camouflaged Army outfits were all over the place. Most of them were eating. Jak stepped in behind her and the door closed. Every head in the room turned to look at them. Jak put his arm around her waist and pulled her forward. They walked down the aisle between the rows of tables. Everyone was still watching them. Halfway down the aisle someone whistled. Ann ignored it. A few more steps and someone cat called. They kept walking. They found Devon and Sniper in line on the other side of the room and joined them. Jak handed Ann a silvery metal tray then grabbed one for himself. A few minutes later the lunch lady spooned something that resembled oatmeal onto the metal tray. Ann followed Jak, Devon, and Sniper to an unoccupied table off in the corner.

They ate quietly and quickly. Sniper seemed to be the only one comfortable there. Ann was probably the least comfortable one. Every single guy in the place was watching her. When they were done eating Jak took her tray for her and walked back to the lunch line to turn them in. Ann was about to get up and walk outside when one of the Army guys slid into the seat next to her. "Hey hottie." He said. Ann glanced at him. "Can I help you?" She asked in an annoyed tone. He smiled at her. "I bet you could." He said in the sexiest voice he could manage. Just then someone's hand touched her shoulder and she looked up to see Jak. He held out his hand and she put hers in his. "There a problem, love?" He asked as he helped her stand. She smiled at him. "Not at all." She said as he put his arm around her and they walked toward the door. The Army guy glared at Jak's back as they walked outside.

Once outside they went back to their cabin and got their things ready. The clock on the table told Ann it was ten minutes till 6 in the morning. Once all their stuff was back in the green bags Ann threw the two that were hers over her shoulder then picked up her katana. She carried it with her left hand so she could draw it if she needed to. Jak carried his silver box under his left arm and his bags over his left shoulder. They walked out of the cabin to see Sniper and Devon waiting for them outside. Jak let Sniper lead the way. Devon and Ann followed Jak. Ann noticed that there was a large green cargo plane idling on the runway. It looked like it was preparing to take off, and they were walking strait towards it.

So that's what he meant when he said we were goinna catch a ride.

**Ooh. A plane trip! I wonder where were going.**

There's no telling with him.

They had finally made it to the idling plane. They walked around to the back of the aircraft. There was a huge door that had been lowered to create a walkway. Along the sides of the inside of the plane were individual seats that had their own seat belts that strapped in an x across the rider's chest. The seats were bolted directly to the wall of the plane and so they had no legs which left plenty of room for the rider's personal belongings. She followed Sniper, Devon, and Jak into the plane. Jak took the seat closest to the door and Ann sat next to him. Devon was on her left and Sniper to his left. They all put their things in the long mesh container that ran under the seats. So far they were the only people in the back of the plane. A minute later that changed as two lines of Army guys walked into the back of the plane and took their seats. Ann happened to notice the guy that hit on her earlier was sitting across from her and a few seats to the left.

Great. So he's going wherever were going. That's just great.

**At least he wasn't a chicken like the rest of them. He actually 'tried' to talk to you.**

Ann strapped herself in along with everyone else. A few minutes went by and the back door slowly lifted and sealed. Jak Crossed his legs at the ankles out in front of him and stretched his arms to rest behind his head as the plane began to move. "Better get comfortable. It's a long flight." Jak told her. She sighed. "A long flight to where?" Ann asked. "You'll see when we get there." He told her. She glared at him and crossed her arms in annoyance and leaned back in her seat as the plane started going a bit faster. Moments later the nose end of the plane rose and the whole plane lurched as it left the ground.

"How long is this going to take?" Ann asked. Jak looked over at her. "Bout 9 hours." He told her. She gaped. "9 hours! Where goinna be stuck in this damn plane for 9 hours!" She yelled in a hushed voice. He just nodded. "What the hell is so important that we have to fly 9 hours?" She asked. "You'll see." He told her. "It's not so bad, love. You can get out of the seat after the plane stabilizes." Jak told her. Sniper took the opportunity to speak up from the other side of Devon. "Conventional airlines take 13 hours instead of 9. The Army flies under the radar most of the way so it's faster." He told her. She sighed. "Well isn't that dandy." She said snidely. After a few minutes everyone started undoing their seatbelts. Ann and Jak did the same.

Ann stayed in her seat for awhile, not wanting to draw attention to herself. Jak had made himself comfortable at the rear of the plane sitting on the floor and leaning on the door/ramp. Devon was listening to an IPod and Sniper was socializing with a small group of the Army guys.

Several hours went by and Ann began to get bored. She got up and walked over to where Jak was and sat down next to him. He turned his head to look at her with a curious face. "I though you were still angry with me." He told her with a hint of sarcasm. "I am." She told him sternly. He tilted his head slightly. "Then why-" He gestured at her sitting next to him. "Well, I'm bored. And who happens to be the least boring person I know?" She asked sarcastically. He smiled and crossed his arms. "Looks like my sense of humor has its benefits." He said more to himself than her. "So entertain me." She told him. His smile grew a bit. "Oh, I'll definitely entertain you. Until then, you'll just have to settle for a card game." He said as he pulled out a poker deck from his coat pocket. She laughed. "You're such an ass." She told him as he shuffled the deck.

A few seconds later Devon walked over and sat across from Jak. "Deal me in." He said. "I didn't know you gambled." Ann commented as Jak dealt the cards. "Are you kidding? You two playing poker against each other? I wouldn't miss 'that' for the world." He said as he collected the five cards that were his. Jak laughed. "What's 'that' supposed to mean?" Ann asked. "It means, not only are you guys goinna be so determined to beat the other that you'll completely forget about me, but it'll be so damn funny that the most stone cold hard ass wouldn't be able to resist laughing." Devon told her. "And that's why I keep you around Dev. Ya always have an eye for excitement." Jak commented.

"Well your both outta luck. Poker's my game. Ima hit your asses so hard you'll feel it next week." Ann told the both of them. Jak laughed. "I'll make 'you' feel it next week." He told her. A pang of desire shot through her at the slightly sexual pun. She ignored it. "And so it begins." Devon said with a slight bit of anticipation in his voice. And the game started.

They had been playing poker for around five hours. After they had played the first few games Sniper joined them along with a few of his friends. Ann was beginning to think that he had been stationed at the supply base they had spent the night at. He seemed to know several people and he wasn't uncomfortable in the least with them. She was willing to bet that was how he got the name 'Sniper'. The three people Sniper had brought to the game seemed to be good guys. They were laughing in no time and having fun with the poker game. Since Ann and several others didn't have any money on them they played for fun and kept track of who won each hand. The person who had won the most hands when they quit would be the official winner. So far Jak and Ann were tied for lead. Sniper was behind them by 3 games. Devon was a game behind him and the rest were fighting for scraps. Ann could tell that both Jak and Sniper definitely had experience playing poker. Devon was just playing off luck so far. Ann had an ace, a deuce, a queen, a ten, and a four. Jak was watching her closely. She had been trying to ignore him. He was constantly trying to unravel her in some way. She still hadn't found his tell yet. As far as she could see he didn't have one. He was constantly switching it up on her. The first few games he had smiled at her when he had a good hand. Then he switched to only smiling when he had a bad hand. After that he would rotate between fidgeting, adjusting his cards, and not taking any actions at all. Ann also noticed that even when he adjusted his cards they were never in order when he laid them down.

I could go for a flush or a low strait. But if I get the wrong cards I'll be screwed.

**If that happens you can always do what you do best.**

And what would that be smart ass?

Bluffing.

Oh yeah, that's really clever. You're the worst at this conversation shit. I'm going for the flush. Even if I had made a strait someone could beat it easier than a flush

Jak was still watching her carefully as he gave Devon two cards and got two in return. She handed the four and the two to Devon who gave her two cards. She slowly looked at them. Something inside her beamed at seeing she had gotten very lucky. She drew the two cards she needed to make her flush, the king and the jack. They were all spades except for two cards. The ace and the jack were hearts.

**If that's not a sign I don't know what is.**

It's just a damn game.

**Don't you get it? He's the jack and you're the ace. It's classic.**

They're cards, not premonitions you dolt.

**You'd think that you of all people would learn to read between the lines.**

If it really was classic card premonition I'd be the queen and him the king of hearts.

**You know better than anyone how much that clashes with his style. Nope. Ace and jack fits so much better.**

Well it doesn't matter cause that's not what it is.

"Tell ya what. I'm getting bored of this no risk crap. Let's up the stakes a bit. Anyone who's got something to lose, throw down." Jak said suddenly. He hadn't talked in so long she had to do a double take of what he said. "And what exactly do 'you' have to lose?" Ann asked. "I'm out." Devon said. "I already know I'm not goinna win if you two are goinna play for keeps." He explained as he threw down his cards. Jak ignored him. "How bout this. If you beat me, you pick one thing. Anything you want, and I'll do it." He told her. "Alright." She told him. "There's a catch though, love." He told her. She looked at him warily. "If 'I' win you gotta do the same." She still had the same wary look on her face. Devon was looking back and forth between them. Ann's mind flooded with all the possible things he could make her do. The different scenarios flashed between anarchy and sex. She glanced down at her cards.

I hope this is worth it.

"Your on." She told him. He smiled a tad bit maliciously. Immediately every one else still in the game threw their cards in the middle. Jak reached out to her and they shook hands. He then sat back and crossed his arms to wait.

I just know I'm goinna regret this.

**The only thing that'll beat you is a royal flush. The chances of that are like one in a million. You got this.**

He wouldn't have made that bet if it wasn't a sure thing.

**There's no way he has a royal flush. You already got it.**

I swear, if he pulls a win outta his ass I will be so screwed.

Devon leaned towards her to peek over her shoulder at her cards. "Well, she woulda beat me." He mumbled. Ann shoved him away. "Hurry up and lay down damn it!"One of the Army guys said anxiously. Ann laid her cards down in the middle. Everyone oohed except Jak. He raised his eyebrows at her.

Shit.

He laid his cards down. Ann's face fell as she stared at the cards. "You son of a bitch." She whispered. "Looks like I win." Jak commented, as if everyone else didn't already know. "How the hell did you pull off a royal flush?" Sniper yelled angrily. "Damn it! You were the one holding the ace and king!" One of the Army guys said. Ann rubbed the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

'One in a million' 'there's no way he has a royal flush' 'you already got this'. I fucking hate you.

**How was I supposed to know?**

"Come here." Jak said to her. "Is that a request or a command?" Ann asked sarcastically. He smirked. "A request with a strong suggestion of compliance." He told her. Devon nudged her. "You better play nice. He could make you do anything." Devon told her. She glared at him and he backed up a bit. Ann scooted closer to Jak. As soon as she was close enough he grabbed her and turned her so that she was leaning against him. She was basically in his lap, but not quite. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "There, right where you belong." He whispered in her ear.

Jak and everyone else started playing 21. Ann opted out. She was content in just watching. Besides, she didn't want to end up owing him 2 unbreakable promises of what ever he wanted. She sat in his arms and watched him kick everyone's ass in 21. For the first time in 8 months she actually felt completely content and happy.

They only had enough time to play 5 or 6 games before a red flashing light came on and a siren echoed through the plane for a few seconds. Everyone picked up whatever they had been doing and returned to their seats to strap in. "Finally. I get to see where the hell you've taken me." Ann said as she strapped into her seat. Jak just smiled.

The plane slowly began to tilt. A few minutes later there was a lurch as they touched down. The plane slowed and idled for a bit. Ann was anxious.

Can you cross the country in 9 hours?

**The hell if I know**.

As the plane slowed to a stop people started unfastening their restraints and collecting their things. Ann threw her bags over her shoulder and picked up her sword. Jak did the same. The door slowly lowered. The outside light poured in. It was near blinding after being in a dark plane for 9 hours. Ann shielded her eyes as the door came to a halt and she looked outside to see a regular looking Army base. On a fence across the tarmac said 'Camp Zama'. Ann frowned in confusion. She had never heard of a 'Camp Zama' before. She glanced over at Jak who was standing next to her. "Where the hell are we?" She asked in a slightly hesitant voice. His smile grew. "Camp Zama, Tokyo."


	29. Chapter 29

Ann slowly turned her head to look at him. "Tokyo… As in Tokyo, Japan?" She asked in as calm a voice as she possibly could. He glanced at her. "That's right." He said with a smirk. She felt her temper slowly rise as she tried to control herself. "You dragged me half way around the world to go sightseeing in Japan? What the hell are we doing here?" She yelled at him. He laughed and stepped out of the plane. Ann belatedly realized that her little outburst had drawn everyone's attention to her. "What?" She yelled at the people staring who all conveniently lost interest. She growled in annoyance and followed Jak.

Once outside the plane her eyes adjusted and she looked around more extensively. There was a massive amount of tall skyscrapers a ways away from where they were. They surrounded three fourths of the area. It was warm, unlike in Gotham. Gotham was always cold this time of year.

Ann followed Jak across the tarmac as he walked towards a small white building. There were signs all along a fence connected to the building telling soldiers where to go to check in when they arrived.

Guess it's a good thing I learned Japanese

Next to the small white building was another building that was slightly larger. A sign on the side of the larger building said 'check in' in both English and Japanese. Between the two buildings was a narrow ally. Jak walked through it and they all followed him. Apparently security wasn't all that tight. They walked strait out of the compound and no one even noticed them.

They were on a gravel road that curved away from the Army base and down a gradual hill. The gravel road led to a paved road that took them off to the right. The city limits were still quite a ways away. "Well, now what genius. What the hell are we goinna do now?" Ann asked him snidely. He smiled. "We walk." He told her. Devon groaned. Sniper grinned sheepishly. "No we don't." He said confidently. Everyone looked over at him. "The guys said they'd pick us up after they were done checking in." He explained. "Alright! No walking!" Devon said excitedly.

It was another ten minutes before Sniper's friends showed up. The three of them were driving an army jeep. There were only five seats in the jeep and the Army guys took up three of them. There were two seats in the front and three in the back. Two army guys were in the front and the third was in the outside back seat. There was a small area behind the three back seats for cargo. They all threw their bags in the back. Sniper was riding in the middle seat and Ann wound up sitting in Jak's lap in the seat next to him. Devon ended up riding in the very back on top of the luggage.

She was slightly ticked off about being dragged all the way to Japan without her knowledge. But she had always wanted to come back. Now that the initial shock of being in a different country was over she was actually a bit happy about it. Jak had his left arm wrapped around her waist and his right arm reclined on the edge of the jeep. Ann couldn't help but laugh every time the jeep hit a bump and Devon was thrown up in the air with a stream of curses.

Sniper's friends had to stay in the Tokyo area so they agreed to take Ann and the others into the edge of the city so they could find their own transportation.

Sniper's friends dropped them off at a bus depot and said their good byes. Jak looked over the bus routs. After a moment he walked up to the teller at the window and conversed with him in Japanese. Ann heard him ask for four tickets to the Utsunomiya bus station. The man on the other side of the window told him the total and Jak pulled his wallet out of his pocket. Ann noticed that it contained Japanese currency.

Jak handed several bills to the man and then the teller handed him four tickets. Jak gave Ann her ticket first then handed the other two theirs. "The bus gets here in 15 minutes." He told them. Ann nodded. There was a nearby food vendor across the street from them. Jak explained to Devon and Sniper that an American dollar was worth a little over 83 Yen in Japan. After he was sure they had figured it out the three of them walked over to the food vendor and they got something to eat. Ann leaned against the bus stop, content to let them pig out without her. She was looking at the architecture of a nearby building when Jak came up to her out of nowhere. "Here" He said as he handed her a corn dog and a few packets of ketchup. She looked at him strangely and took the corn dog. "They didn't have mustard." He explained. She smiled. "That's ok. I like ketchup on them anyways." She told him. He smirked at her. Devon and Sniper walked over to them eating corn dogs of their own. A few minutes later the bus arrived and they stepped on and took their seats along with about five other people.

The bus ride was long. It took a little over an hour to get to Utsunomiya. Jak had given her the window seat. She spent her time watching the scenery go by as the bus took them where they needed to go. When they finally arrived Ann was eager to get out and look around. They all filed off the bus. "Now what?" Ann asked as Jak walked towards the bus stop kiosk. "Now we go to Fukushima." Jak told her. She looked around. "So how far is that?" Ann asked. He thought for a minute. "Eh, bout a hundred miles." He told her. She gaped. "A hundred miles?" She asked in disbelief. "Give or take a few. That's close to three hours." He told her. Devon groaned as Jak walked up to the window and got the bus tickets.

Ann adjusted the bags she was carrying to make them more comfortable. A moment later he returned to where they were waiting and handed them their tickets. Five minutes went by and they were filed onto another bus that would take them to Fukushima. This time Ann took the aisle seat and Jak had the window. Devon and Sniper didn't get lucky enough to sit together. The bus only had two seats open. One was the window seat across the aisle from where Ann and Jak were sitting and the other was the seat in front of them. Devon sat by the window across the aisle next to an elderly lady that was wearing a pair of glasses and had her hair pulled up in a bun. Sniper took the other seat.

After the first few minutes in the bus Ann was already ready to get out. She would almost have rather walked. After the first hour she wound up leaning her head on Jak's shoulder in boredom and looking out the window. He glanced down at her head on his shoulder and a smirk appeared on his face. He raised his arm and put it over her shoulder. She didn't complain. She just leaned over farther and rested her head on his chest. They spent the rest of the bus ride that way. She noticed that they were progressively going up hill throughout the bus ride.

When they were about 20 minutes from their destination the elderly lady started saying something to Devon. Ann and Jak glanced over to see Devon looking completely confused at what she was saying. He couldn't understand a word of it. Luckily, Ann could. The lady was telling Devon that his friends made an adorable couple. Ann's face flushed slightly. Devon shook his head and pointed at Ann. The lady looked over at Ann. Ann apologized to her and explained that Devon didn't understand Japanese and thanked her for the comment. From that point forward the lady was a non stop chatter box. She told Ann that she and her late husband had met on a bus and that she was traveling to visit his grave. She then talked about her late husband the rest of the trip. Ann just smiled and listened until the bus finally stopped and everyone began getting their things and exiting the bus.

"Please tell me we don't have to ride another bus." Ann said to Jak. Jak smiled. "We don't have to ride another bus." He said with humor in his voice as he started walking down the street and they all followed him. Ann was beginning to get the feeling she had been there before. Certain buildings and other things looked slightly familiar. They walked a few blocks and came to a slightly busier street. Jak walked to the corner and a few moments later he managed to flag down a taxi. The four of them managed to squeeze into the car and Jak instructed the driver on where to go. The driver drove through town a bit before heading out of town on a different road. Around 20 minutes later they were out in the middle of nowhere going up the side of a mountain. Jak told the driver to pull over and he paid the man for the ride.

Everyone got out of the car and Ann looked around. "Now where are we?" Ann asked as the taxi drove off. "Aizu-ni. Or Mount Bandai for the illiterate ones." Jak said over his shoulder. Devon made a snide face at him as he walked off the road and into the tree line that ran close to the road. Ann followed him. "So were hiking now?" Ann asked as the four of them slowly ascended the side of the mountain through the trees. "There aren't any drivable roads where were going." He told her.

Another half hour later and it was beginning to get dark. Up ahead of them it looked like there was a small clearing. Jak stopped in the clearing and looked around. He walked to the middle of the clearing and sat his bags and sword on the ground. Ann followed him. "Are we camping here or something?" She asked. "Shh" He told her and raised his hands like someone was pointing a gun at him. She gave him a strange look. Devon and Sniper were giving him the same look.

Out of nowhere at least two dozen men rushed out of the trees brandishing katana's. They were wearing gi's and hakama pants. Ann was startled by the sudden attack and was about to reach for her pistol but Jak stopped her. "Don't fight back." He told her. She noticed that he looked completely calm as the men surrounded the four of them. A man stepped forward. He didn't look like he could be much older than 17 or 18 years old. He had his sword sheathed. He had long black hair that was pulled back in a pony tail. It looked like he was the one in charge. He asked Jak who they were and what business they had. Jak told him that he had business with the sensei. The man looked at him warily then at Ann, Devon, and Sniper. The man turned around and told the others 'bring them' then walked out of the clearing. Jak picked his things back up and began walking towards where the man had disappeared into the trees. Ann followed him closely, as did Devon and Sniper. "I can't believe I got dragged into flying over 6,000 miles in the back of a cargo plane just to ride busses, go hiking, and get taken prisoner at sword point." Ann mumbled to herself as she glared at Jak. "At least you know how far you are away from home." He told her sarcastically. She looked at him. "Did you forget?" She asked in slight amazement. He waited for her to continue. "Home is where the heart is." She said then looked away. He smiled. "I didn't forget." He told her.

Ten minutes later and it was officially dark. Several of the men 'escorting' them had lit torches and they continued despite the dark. It wasn't long after that when Ann began to see glowing lights up ahead of them. They reached the end of the trees and Ann gasped.

It's the village from my dreams!

It looked just like it had the last time she had been there. There were several additional huts that hadn't been there before, but other than that it was the same. She belatedly realized that she had stopped walking and that Jak was looking back at her with an intrigued look on his face. She caught up with him and they continued.

They walked down the middle of the village and towards where she knew the dojo was. Ahead of them a man was walking towards them. Ann peered through the darkness to get a better look. A picture of Jak's sensei flashed in her mind for a second. It was him. He looked a bit older than he had when she was a child. But she could tell it was him. He looked to be in excellent health and very fit despite his age. The man who had talked to Jak in the clearing walked up to the sensei and began to explain but the sensei held up his hand. The man immediately stopped talking. Ann was suddenly tense. Sensei walked passed the group of 'escorts' and strait up to Jak. He gave Jak a look up and down then he looked at Ann and smiled. He looked back at Jak. "You found her." He said to him in Japanese.

I knew it! I told you he had been looking for me the whole time!

**You never forget a friggin argument, do you?**

Nope.

Jak smiled. "Hai sensei." The sensei looked back to her. "You have grown since last I saw you. Welcome to Tsuki Village." He told her in English. She smiled at him. "It's an honor, sir." She told him in Japanese as she nodded her head slightly in respect. He gave her an impressed look then glanced back at Jak with an amused smile on his face. He turned to the man he had cut off and told him to show Jak's two friends to the guest houses and to prepare a meal for the four of them. By 'Jak's two friends' she assumed he meant Devon and Sniper. The man, whom Ann now knew as Shinto, nodded and walked towards the guest houses. Jak instructed Devon and Sniper to follow him and said that he would find them later. By now the armed guards had dispersed. The sensei then continued walking like he had been when they crossed paths. Jak walked towards the dojo and Ann followed him.

I wonder if we get to sleep under the stars.

A few minutes later they walked up the steps to the dojo and walked around the corner. Ann froze. She stood staring at the place where they had first met. The memory played through her head as she walked up to the railing and ran her free hand along the spot where she had sat so many years before. She looked up to see that he was watching her with a smirk on his face. "And that's why were here." He told her. She smiled.

She followed him around to the back side of the dojo and down the stairs. "You wanna hold my hand?" He asked sarcastically as they reached the bottom of the stairs. She just smiled at him as he began walking along the edge of the cliff. She followed closely. She wasn't clinging to him like the last time she followed him through here. But she did make a point to stay close.

Once the cliff widened and they rounded the corner Ann was expecting to see the same open clearing. She wasn't disappointed. The only difference here was in the middle of the clearing was a small cabin that over looked the pond and waterfall. The cabin had a small porch that ran along the side facing the pond. It was slightly larger than the small houses that were in the villages. "That wasn't here before." Ann commented as they walked towards the cabin. "No. I built it about a year after you left." He told her. She glanced at him. "You built this?" She asked in a surprised voice. He nodded. They walked up the steps that led to the porch and Jak slid the door open.

She followed him inside and shut the door. Jak pulled out his Zippo and a small amount of light illuminated the room. Ann couldn't see anything. Jak walked across the room and lit a set of candles that were on a candle holder. The room got a bit brighter. Jak then lit another set of candles that were off in the other corner. Ann could see easily now that the candles were lit.

There was a small round table that had two chairs on either side of it. A candle holder supported three glowing candles in the middle of the table. There were several chairs and a few end tables along the wall opposite the door. On of the end tables held another set of candles. Against the wall to the right was long and wide wooden bench with a slanted back. So far all the furniture was made completely out of wood. Next to the bench was a doorway that led into another room. There was another door on the opposite side of the room. There was a fine layer of dust on the surface of just about everything.

Jak walked over to the wood bench and sat down his bags. Ann put hers down in a nearby chair. She noticed that all the furniture had pillows in various places.

Jak waked over to her. She was still holding her silk wrapped katana. He took it from her and sat it on the table next to her. He leaned his hands on the wall on either side of her and leaned in to stare at her inches from her face. She leaned backwards but that was as far as she could go. "You were 'pining' for me. Well here I am." He told her. He was so close she could feel his breath on her face. Ann closed her eyes leaned forward slightly. Just enough to close the distance. Their lips touched softly. He leaned in farther and deepened the kiss. He grabbed her hips and pulled her into him roughly and she couldn't help but moan in his mouth. He pulled her away from the wall long enough to strip her of her coat then he slammed her back against the wall again. He trailed kisses down her jaw line to her neck. She leaned her head back against the wall as he kissed his way to her shoulder. She ground her teeth as he bit down on her soft flesh. She slid his coat off his shoulders. It landed in a heap at his feet. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He pressed his midsection into her and his hips ground against hers as he kissed her forcefully. She dug her nails into his shoulders and moaned when he did it again. He carried her through one of the doors and into a small bedroom. She was thrown onto a queen sized bed. She didn't have time to move as he was suddenly on top of her. She ran her fingers through his hair as he kissed her and grinded against her.

A knock at the door startled both of them. Jak hung his head with a sigh. He walked out of the bedroom and slid the door open to find a kid about the age of 14 or 15. Ann watched from the corner of the bedroom door as the kid handed Jak a cloth bag. Jak thanked him and the kid left. Ann looked strangely at the bag. It had fresh blood stains around the bottom of it. "Tell me there's not a head in that thing." Ann said. Jak laughed. "That is dinner." He told her.

She looked back at the bag as he walked outside. She followed him. He walked down closer to the river and she noticed a small ring of rocks for a camp fire. There was a four foot long log on one side. There were two forked sticks with a metal bar laid across them over the fire. He dropped the bag on the ground and then went to the other side of the cabin. After a minute he came back with a stack of firewood in his arms. There was a fire going in no time. The bag turned out to be a deer leg that was now cooking over the fire.

Ann and Jak were sitting on the log next to the fire waiting for the deer leg to cook. Ann was staring into the fire watching it twist and crackle. She had always had an attraction to fire. As it was now, Ann and Jak were sitting a few feet apart from each other. The noise of the waterfall echoed in the background. She glanced over at him. He was leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees and staring into the fire like she had been. He glanced over at her and a smirk appeared on his face. The light from the fire bathed him in deep orange and red colors. Their eyes locked and they just stared at each other.

Damn.

**Looks like your bout to give up on being mad at him.**

This is driving me crazy.

**Just tell him you forgive him and make up already. Your goinna end up doing it anyway.**

A moment went by and he looked away and ran his hands through his hair with a sigh. He looked back to her. "Come here." He told her. She scooted a bit closer. He turned to look at her a bit more directly. "I'm sorry." He told her. Her eyes widened slightly.

Did he just apologize? Really?

"I should have talked it over with you. Forgive me." He said. Her mouth dropped open slightly.

Am I missing something here?

It took her a moment but she finally got past the initial shock that came with his apology. "Your apologizing? You?" She asked in amazement. He raised his eyebrows at her. "I forgive you. But your goinna have to start keepin me up to date on shit." She told him. He grinned. "Life isn't fun without surprises." He told her. She scowled at him. "Would you love me if I was anything but who I am?" He asked with that sarcastic flare that he was so famous for. Her face flushed a bit as her mind flashed back to when she had told him she loved him. "I suppose not." She mumbled as he stood and turned the meat cooking over the fire.

Another ten minutes later she was eating on the piece of cooked deer meat he had given her. Curiosity got her, "So, how did you get a mattress and box spring over here anyways?" She asked in wonder. "Very carefully." He told her before taking another bite. She laughed as a picture of him slowly dragging a mattress along the cliff came to her mind. He glanced over at her. "It's harder than it looks." He told her. She smiled. "Sorry, it just brings a funny picture to mind." She told him.

After they were done eating Jak threw the bone over the edge of the cliff then walked back to her. She yawned as he sat back down next to her and she leaned on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her back and they sat watching the fire slowly die. It wasn't long before she fell asleep.


	30. Chapter 30

Ann woke the next morning to the sound of birds calling outside. She sat up to realize she was in Jak's bed, in his cabin, on a mountain, in Japan. She sighed and rubbed her forehead as a slight hint of annoyance crept across her. She glanced next to her to see that he was still sleeping contently. Her urge to pound his face in faded just like it always did as she watched him sleep.

Just when I think I'm finally rid of him….

He shifted slightly in his sleep.

… he goes and reminds how much I love him.

She looked down, much to her surprise, to see that she was still wearing her clothes. She got out of bed and wandered to the outside door. She stood in the doorway and took in the sight of the waterfall as she tried to wake herself up. She suddenly had the overwhelming urge to go for a swim. The water just looked so inviting. She walked to the edge of the pond and stripped down. She then slowly waded out into the water.

The water was cool and refreshing. The waterfall was a constant haze of sound in the background. She noticed the contrast of how it sounded above water and the lower sounding hum under water. Every so often she would dive to the bottom of the water. She was surprised to find that the bottom of the pond bed was one smooth stone surface instead of the loose mud that was at the bottom of the lakes that were in Oklahoma. Slowly her thoughts started to melt away. Her mind was calm and serine for the first time in months.

* * *

 

~Jak's POV~

He woke to find her missing. He was suddenly concerned until he remembered she had nowhere to go. He smirked at the thought.

You can't run and hide this time.

He went without a shirt and dressed in only a pair of hakama pants. Upon realizing she wasn't even in the house he slid open the front door. It didn't take him long to find her. A smirk appeared on his face as he slowly and quietly walked towards the pond.

* * *

 

~Ann's POV~

She was standing in the water just above waist level watching the waterfall cascade down and over the side of the ledge close to 25 foot above her. The water turned white just after it fell from the ledge. Her mind had been calmly blank for a bit now. Suddenly there were two strong arms around her waist and she jumped with a curse. She felt him nuzzle the side of her neck and she leaned back to rest the back of her head on his shoulder and look up at him. Her eyes widened a bit when she realized that she was completely undressed in the water and that he probably was also. He inhaled next to ear. "Mmm. Good morning indeed." He said in a low growl as he ran his hands down her sides. She shivered at his touch as his caresses caused the water to swirl slightly around her skin.

He turned her to face him and pressed his lips against hers. She placed her hands on his chest as desire shot through her and she returned the kiss. He pulled her against him and she felt his erection brush against her. Eight months of abstinence bubbled to the top. She was suddenly angry because of her forced separation from him and took control of the kiss as she pushed him forcefully backwards towards the shore and away from her. He gave her a confused and surprised look as she stepped towards him. She pushed him backwards again. They were now only knee deep in the water. She pushed him onto the land and towards the cabin. She looked almost feral with a steely glare on her face. A look of understanding spread across his face and he smirked slightly. She began to push him again but he caught her by the wrist and pulled her to him. She let out a stream of insults, curses, and threats as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. The ranting continued as he carried her inside the cabin.

He tossed her lightly onto the bed and she bounced slightly. She stood at the edge of the bed to face him. "Damn it you son of a bitch you can't just-" She was interrupted by him gently pushing her shoulder to make her fall backwards and sit. Her jaw dropped slightly in annoyance. He had an amused smirk on his face. She stood again only to have him push her to sit again.

She stood a third time. This time when he tried to push her she grabbed his wrist and pulled as hard as she could to throw him onto the bed. She jumped on top of him. His smirk grew a bit as he allowed her to pin his wrists next to his head and she straddled his waist. She knew it wouldn't take anything for him to break free. She leaned down to kiss him sweetly. She felt him press against her as he leaned forward to deepen the kiss. He slipped inside her and she moaned into his mouth. She let her hands slide down his arms to his shoulders then down his chest as she sat up and rocked her body against his. His hands slid up her thighs to grasp at her hips and pull and push them back and forth. Her breathing got heavier as she felt him bending inside her. She continued moving her hips back and forth as his hands slid up her sides. She watched as his smile grew a bit and he leaned his head back. An idea clicked in her head and she began moving her hips in circles while grinding against him. He was breathing heavier now through his mouth and eyes seemed to grow a bit carnal.

She ran her nails across his chest as his hips began bucking into her slightly. She bent slightly and their lips barely touched. Both were breathing hard against each other. He suddenly reached up to grasp her by the back of her neck and pulled her lips to his. He shifted his weigh and she was unexpectedly on her back under him. He drove into her hard and her mouth dropped open with a gasp. Her back involuntarily arched as he grabbed her hips and continued driving into her. Her breathing became erratic and she grasped his arms. "J-Jak." She bit her lip as she hit her climax and tremors wracked her body. He drove into her a final time as he reached his own and collapsed on top of her. They were both covered in a fine sheet of sweat. He pushed himself up onto his elbows and looked at her. Her face had a faint flush and her wet hair splayed across the pillow. She looked up at him to see the smirk return to his face.

"Looks like you really did miss me." He told her. She ignored his comment as she tried to get her breathing under control. A knock on the door drew their attention. "Kinda busy here." Jak called as he pushed himself to his feet and opened the door to a large vanity. Ann saw a collection of kimonos, hakamas, and gis. The majority of the hakamas and gis were black but there were a few other colors. Ann caught a glimpse of the fancy black and silver silk gi that he had wore the last time she was here.

She grabbed her bags and dug through them looking for clothes. He beat her to it though as she was tossed a pair of black hakamas. She gave him a strange look and he gestured to the vanity. She put on clean underwear and then looked for a suitable gi in the vanity as Jak dressed in the solid black outfit that he wore years ago.

She found a red gi that she liked and draped it over her shoulders then stepped into the hakamas. She already knew how to put them on thanks to her Aikido class. She finished tying the belt around her waist just as Jak opened the door to find Sniper and Devon sitting on the steps to the porch. Wearing the gi and hakamas was a bit strange. She hadn't worn one in close to a year. Devon and Sniper gave the both of them strange looks. Ann was about to step out the door when Jak stopped her and pointed at the table where both their swords were still wrapped up. She looked at him a bit questioningly as he walked over and opened the box that held his katana. It suddenly clicked in her when she remembered that he was wearing a sword when she first met him. It may not have been the beautiful silver one that he had just slipped under his belt. But he was wearing one. She began un wrapping hers and after a few minutes she was wearing hers as well. The weight of the sword on her hip felt strange. Most of the time in her dojo they used wooden practice swords called bokkens. They very rarely had the students wear actual swords. And she didn't have much practice using an actual katana either. She tried to shake off the awkward feeling as Jak stepped outside with Devon and Sniper and she followed him.

"You guys look like you came strait outta some Kill Bill movie." Sniper commented. "Looks bad ass. When do I get a sword?" Devon asked as the both of them stood. "You don't." Jak told him. He whined. "She gets to wear one." He accused in a childish voice. "She also knows how to use one." Jak said as the four of them walked across the clearing towards the edge of the cliff. "How'd you guys find us anyways?" Ann asked hoping to change the subject. Instead she ended up in a conversation with Sniper who explained that they asked close to ten people before someone finally figured out what they were trying to ask. Devon was still complaining about not getting his own sword and Jak was making easy work of shooting down his complaints. The conversation stopped when they reached the narrow path along the cliff.

Jak walked along it, again, like it wasn't even there. Ann, once again, tired her best to mimic him without showing any fear. She managed to walk the ledge with out incident this time. Devon and Sniper managed to scoot along with their backs against the wall both trying desperately not to look down. "Jesus. Your more paranoid that I thought to live some place like that." Devon mumbled from behind her. "It's the best place in town." Jak called over his shoulder as he reached the stairs and began to climb. "I'm surprised you guys even bothered with it." Ann said under her breath. She could almost see the smirk on Jak's face even though his back was to her. A few feet from the steps Devon lunged and grasped a hold of the railing before following them. Behind him Sniper gave a sigh of relief as he stepped onto the stairs. Both looked very relieved. Devon's begging and complaining about a sword resumed as Jak lead them to the back side of the dojo and through a sliding door.

Devon stopped complaining once inside. Jak led them through a hallway and into a decent sized room. Only now did Ann start to get an idea of how big the building was. The room was filled with people of various ages who were all wearing the same black that Jak wore. They sat at random places around the room eating. Every head in the room looked at them as they entered and Ann noticed some people whispering with each other when they noticed Jak's sword.

An older looking lady wearing a plain blue kimono walked up to them and asked if they wanted some breakfast. Jak nodded and a few minutes later she returned to them carrying two bowls of white rice and chop sticks. She handed the bowls to Jak and Ann then left and returned with two more for Sniper and Devon. The four of them sat in a corner and ate. Ann and Jak both pulled their katana's out from their belts and sat with them leaning against the wall across their chest.

 

They ate fairly quietly. Ann couldn't help a laugh or two as she watched Devon and Sniper struggle with their chop sticks. Once they were finished eating Devon started back up about wanting his own sword. Ann could tell Jak was starting to get slightly annoyed with his bantering. Jak led them through the dojo with an annoyed look on his face. After a few minutes they arrived at their new destination inside the dojo. It was a huge room with a very shiny and polished wooden floor. Along the edges of the room the floor was raised by about four inches above the rest. There were several students sitting cross legged along the wall on the raised floor. Jak strode out into the middle of the training room and told Sniper to take a seat somewhere. He told Ann and Devon to stay put as he walked over to a young student who was standing off to the side and said something to him. The student gave him a strange look but then nodded hastily once he notice Jak's sword. The student ran off to the corner of the room and returned carrying two bokens.

So they do use them here.

Jak walked back to Ann and Devon and handed them each a boken. Devon gave him a confused look but Ann already knew what he had in mind. He asked her for her sword and she hesitantly pulled it from its belt and handed it to him. This caused the people in the room to exchange confused glances and a few whispers insued. She caught several murmurs about how much trust she must have had in him and smiled.

They have no idea.

Jak turned to Devon. "If you can land a single blow on her I'll get your dumb ass a sword." He told him. Ann was already in a stance with her sword ready. "Begin when ready." Jak told Devon. Devon looked at the boken dumbly before trying a pitiful imitation of Ann. Jak backed up closer to Ann. "Try not to hurt him too badly." He told her before he stepped away. Devon apparently gained a bit of confidence and dashed at her with a wild and uncoordinated swing towards her head. Ann stepped to the left a bit as she easily knocked the wooden sword away. His right hand lost its grip and his left flew to the side holding the wooden sword. She quickly brought her boken down on his shoulder a bit harder than necessary and he yelled in pain and stumbled backwards. Ann resumed her previous stance as Devon gave a hesitant look at Jak who had a smug look on his face.

Ann decided she would play on the defense for a while so that Devon would have a bit of time to recuperate after each attack. She already knew he wouldn't hit her. After a moment Devon charged at her again. This time he came strait at her with a downwards swing to her head. Ann stepped to the right just like before but this time she stepped in close and grabbed the hilt of his boken with her left hand just above where his hands rested. She brought the hilt of her boken down in a hooking effect on his left hand and ripped his hand away from the wooden swords hilt. In the same motion the blade of her boken came down across his chest. He still had a hold of the wooden sword with his right hand and she used her grip on his boken to pull him forward and off balance as she brought her knee into his stomach. She could have easily kneed him in the face, but Jak 'had' told her to go easy. Ann heard Devon make a gasping sound as her knee connected. She then pushed him to the side and he fell roughly on his back. Ann stepped back a few paces and resumed her stance. After a few moments Ann was beginning to think that he wasn't getting up, but then he slowly struggled to his feet.

"Stubborn idiot." Ann mumbled just before he came at her again. He was significantly slower this time. Ann batted his boken away and it flew out of his hand. One of the students off to the side caught it.

This time she was determined to make sure he wouldn't get up. She made contact with the blade of her boken at his throat as she stepped to her left and past him. His eyes widened at the sudden hit. She pulled the boken around his body then swept his legs out from under him from behind. He was suddenly on his back again and Ann brought the point of her boken to rest over his heart in a pointed manner. He had a pained look on his face and was holding his neck.

"Finished?" She asked as he looked up at her. He managed a nod and her demeanor instantly changed. She removed her boken from his chest and offered him her hand in assistance. He allowed her to help him to his feet and Jak appeared next to them. "Still think you can handle a sword?" He asked sarcastically. Devon didn't look like he could manage words yet and just shook his head. He was still holding his throat with one hand. Jak handed her sword back to her and she slid it back under her cloth belt with a sigh of relief to have it back. She collected Devon's discarded boken from the student that had caught it.

She was about to take both wooden swords back to the corner where they belonged when clapping insued from the other side of the room. She belatedly realized that Jak's sensei stood in the open doorway watching her. The rest of the room stood and bowed including Jak. Ann shook off her surprise and bowed as well as he walked toward her. "Marvelous display." He said to her in Japanese. "May I ask what brought your vengeance on the poor boy?" His tone was light and humorous. Ann stood up strait. "He made Jak mad." She explained in Japanese. She realized that Jak was standing next to her and wondered how he had managed that without her noticing.

The sensei had a glint in his eyes when he looked at Jak. "I see" He said with a smile. "Still one of a kind." He said more to himself that anyone else as he turned and made his way towards the front of the class room. Jak walked to where Devon and Sniper sat at the side of the room and Ann followed. The rest of the class had seated themselves as well. Jak sat down and Ann sat between him and Devon. Devon looked at Jak. "You're an ass." He whispered. "I get that a lot." Jak said as he glanced at Ann out of the corner of his eye. Ann looked at Devon apologetically. "I didn't hurt you to bad, did I?" She asked in a slightly concerned voice. He shook his head. "Naw. I'm ready to go again." He told her confidently. The look on his face told her different. Ann looked around the room and noticed that the guy from the day before was sitting across the room glaring in their direction. It took her a moment but she finally remembered his name was Shinto. Her attention flowed to the front of the room as the sensei spoke. He had apparently noticed Shinto's glare also. "Shinto, do you have something on your mind? You seem awfully 'intent' on our guests." He said in a slightly annoyed tone. Shinto said something that she didn't quite catch. Jak apparently caught it though. His face portrayed an annoyed look. She looked at him questioningly. "Someone has a jealousy issue." He told her as he stood. Ann looked back towards Shinto who had also stood.

Not good.

**Interesting**.

The sensei instructed them to 'settle the problem' and the two of them squared off in the middle of the room.

**You get to see him fight!**

Ann gave Jak a worried look as the two unsheathed their swords.

No bokens?

**Apparently not.**

Ann unconsciously leaned forward in a mixture of excitement and dread.

Unlike her, Jak attacked first. His movements were so fast she could barely follow him as the sound of swords clashing filled the room. Ann remembered that Jak had a very antagonistic personality. Of course he would attack first.

Neither of them had any idea what the other could do. Jak had the advantage though because he had been trained here and knew the capabilities of a person as they progressed, and he had climbed his way to the top. Shinto blocked Jak's first several attacks before gaining some room and making a few of his own. It was like watching a very coordinated and very deadly dance. It was beautiful. After a few moments it became obvious that Jak was more skilled. Shinto didn't look like he was too far behind though.

He must be close to getting his own shiny masters sword.

Shinto's attacks began to get a bit slower as the battle progressed and he suddenly lashed out bringing his sword close to Jak's neck in a horizontal slice. Jak avoided it by inches and made a counter attack. Jak's sword slid around Shinto's arm in a fluid motion and Shinto leapt back. He was breathing heavier than before. Jak remained completely composed and showed no signs of tiring. The fabric around Shinto's arm had a clean cut through it and Ann could see a bit of blood seeping out of a cut on his arm.

Jak could have taken Shinto's arm off if he had wanted to. Shinto's sneered in anger and he attacked Jak again. Jak was much faster. Ann realized that he had been holding back until now. Jak didn't even bother blocking the attack. He simply stepped to the side and made an opening in Shinto's defenses. The tip of Jak's sword sliced across Shinto's hand and he yelped in surprise as he dropped his sword. Within an instant Jak placed a front kick in the middle of Shinto's chest and Shinto flew into the air and landed on his back in a heap. Jak backed up a few steps and allowed Shinto to stand and collect his sword. Shinto watched Jak a moment. His face contorted in rage and he screamed as he charged Jak a final time intent on impaling Jak with his sword. The sword was aimed strait for Jak's face. In a flash of movement Jak ducked under the sword and stepped under it and to the left he brought his katana up and in a sweeping motion hit Shinto hard in the back of the neck with the hilt. Ann realized he had modified this attack slightly. If it had been a serious fight Jak would have taken off his head. Shinto fell forward to the floor. Jak smoothly walked to where he lay on the floor as Shinto rolled over. Before he could move Jak held his katana over Shinto's heart as Ann had to Devon earlier. Shinto froze. "Do you yield?" Jak asked in Japanese. Shinto glared in outrage and Jak pressed the tip of his katana harder against Shinto's chest. Shinto's face took on a pained expression and after another moment he nodded resentfully. Jak stepped away. Ann wondered briefly what would have happened if Shinto had refused to yield.

Jak produced a small brown rag and wiped Shinto's lingering blood off his pristine katana and in a fluid motion sheathed it. Shinto was still on his back and Jak extended his hand to help him up. Shinto glared at him and swatted his hand away and stood on his own. Jak bowed slightly to him then to the sensei before returning to his place next to Ann. Ann was trying to process the events that just took place. Jak was just being so respectful, despite Shinto had just threatened him and tried to kill him. Then it hit her.

Kill them with kindness. It drives people crazy.

**I'd rather just kill them.**

Yeah. Never been my thing either.

Jak nudged her. "Stop talking to yourself and pay attention." He whispered. Only then did she notice that there was a pair of students sparring in the center of the room. Every so often the sensei would stop them and correct something that they did wrong.

* * *

 

~Flash~

Ann was in the village from her dreams. In the back of her mind she realized that it was some time after the festival that he had taken her to. She slowly snuck up the steps to the dojo and went around to the back being as quiet as possible. She had to know what they did in there. Jak had told her that he was 'learning how to kill'. Something inside her just had to know what he had meant. She slowly slid open a door and stepped inside. She heard noises down the hall and followed the sounds to another door. She slowly cracked the door open and peered inside through the crack. There were close to twenty people all wearing the trademark black that Jak wore. They were all paired up sparring each other. She spotted Jak who was one of the closest to her. He was sparring with a kid that looked no older than she was. It looked like Jak was teaching him. Ann couldn't hear what they were saying but Jak would let the kid attack him several times before stopping him and demonstrating the proper way to do it.

She was so focused on him that she didn't notice when someone came up behind her in the hall. Someone grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to her feet. Ann didn't have time to look at their face as they slid the door open. The person pushed her inside and all eyes were on her. Jak stepped forward about to protest something to her captor but the person behind her loudly accused something in Japanese. She had no idea what the person was saying. Jak argued with the person for a few minutes before Jak's sensei stepped forward.

Jak looked like he was about to murder the other guy when the sensei separated them and told them something in a very calm voice. The rest of the students cleared the area and the sensei instructed her to follow him with a smile on his face. She stepped back to stand beside him. Ann as a child had no idea what was going on. But Ann's adult mind recognized the guy that had snitched on her. It was a young Shinto. Ann realized that he must be a lot older than he looks in the present. Ann's adult mind also knew what they were saying even though as a child she had no idea, Jak was fighting to protect her. Apparently someone who watches a training session without an invitation is supposed to be executed.

Wow. He was saving me even then. Who knew?

**No wonder that Shinto guy seems to hate you guys.**

Ann watched as a battle similar to the one she had witnessed in present time occurred between Jak and Shinto. Jak, won, as expected, and embarrassed Shinto greatly. Something told Ann that Jak would have taken on the entire room full of people if it came to her.

~Fades to White~

* * *

 

Ann jerked her head at the sudden flash of memory behind her eyes. She was beginning to get used to it. At least she wasn't passing out anymore. She felt like she had been blinded by a bright light. As her eyes adjusted she took in the sight of the room and the students sparring in the center under the watchful eye of the sensei.

Did you do that?

**No. You did.**

I did?

**You did**.

Great.


	31. Chapter 31

Whadda you mean I did that?

**Well I didn't do it. It had to be you. Probably just being in a familiar environment.**

Jak nudged her and she snapped back to reality and looked around. It seemed the lesson was over and everyone was leaving. Ann stood up and followed Jak outside. She was about to ask what was next but Devon beat her to it. "Hey man." Devon said beside Jak. "What the hell are we doing here? I mean, this vacation is nice and all, besides getting beat up. But what about Batman?" Devon asked. Jak smiled a slightly evil smile and glanced back at Ann. Devon's questions about Batman had thrown her off for a moment. It was like she'd been dropped into a dream ever since Joker had dragged her out of her apartment. She glared back at him.

The mention of Batman had made her realize what all had happened. Yes she had gone willingly, even though she suspected that she would have ended up being dragged along even if she hadn't been willing. Misa and Ashley were probably freaking out. She had just disappeared several days ago and by now Bruce had probably informed Commissioner Gordon and everyone else that she was- or at least had been- the Joker's partner. Because of the paperwork she had filled out at that lawyers office Misa would be managing the company for her, so that was good.

Jak and Devon had resumed their conversation. Jak was playing it off like all this really was just a vacation. But Ann knew better. Thinking back on it, he had been surprised to find out that she remembered meeting him in Japan. She was willing to bet that this little 'vacation' had all been just to help her regain those memories. And now it was just a waist of time because she had already remembered, but everything had already been set up so he just went with it? Yup, that sounded like him. But could that really be all that this was about?

She should find a way to let Misa know she was ok. But if the cops were looking for her surely they would be watching Misa. And Bruce, Batman, knew both Ashley and Misa. Ashley had helped Ann and Devon get Joker out of that swat van. Ashley had been right there when she had fought Batman. Ann knew Bruce. He was a lot smarter than he looked. He had probably put together who 'blondie' had been. And Ashley had no way of knowing that she was in trouble.

That did it for Ann. She was going to have to find a way to warn Ashley, if it wasn't already too late. But Jak had taken her cell phone. And there definitely weren't any phones up here in the mountains. He had planned for her being a hostage and had taken her to the most perfect spot for it. No phones, no roads, no police, no Batman. It was the perfect place to take a hostage. And with his status as a Master, all he had to do was snap his fingers and the whole village would be on her heals if she tried to run. No, running wouldn't work. She was just going to have to find her phone, or Jak's, and then wait for him to be ready to go back to Gotham.

She walked up right between Jak and Devon. "Hey. I need to talk to you." She said and grabbed Jak by the arm. He gave her a humorous look but let her begin to drag him away. Devon still had his mouth open; he had been in the middle of a sentence. Sniper and Devon began to follow but she whirled on them. "Scram." She said forcefully then continued dragging Jak off away from the crowd of people.

Once they were out of ear shot she was about to demand he return her phone, but he beat her to it. "I suppose you'll be wanting to make a few phone calls?" he asked. She had been on the verge of demanding it, but she just nodded.

"Ashley's could be in trouble. I have to warn her." Ann told him. It looked like he was on the verge of laughing. "We've been gone nearly four days, love. I doubt that a simple phone call will save her now." Ann frowned. He was right. Ashley was probably already sitting in jail being asked all kinds of questions about Ann and Joker. Either that or they had her phone tapped and were waiting for Ann to contact her. At seeing the look on her face Jak put his hands on her shoulders. "Your friends are your weakness. You know that." Ann just glared back up at him.

Just then Devon burst out from around the corner. "We have to go back! If she's in trouble we have to go back now." He said. Both Ann and Jak glared at him. He had apparently been spying on them. Perhaps this was perfect timing. "I agree. She could be in jail because of me." Ann said stubbornly. Jak sighed. "I suppose I can't just leave her in jail. She does know my name after all." He ran his fingers through his hair in annoyance. "Fine we'll go back tomorrow. But 'you'-" he tapped Ann on the nose. "- have to do something for me first. And you-" he glanced at Devon. "-are goinna regret eavesdropping." Devon slowly backed up around the corner again. Ann glared at Jak and crossed her arms. "And what exactly am I supposed to do?" Jak smiled at her.

* * *

 

~Later that evening~

"I can't believe I agreed to this." Ann mumbled as a lady named Shizu helped her dress in a black ladies kimono with silver trim. It looked identical to the one that Jak had worn to the festival when she was a child. There was a circular silver crest on the back that she didn't recognize. It took a few minutes but finally Shizu finished tugging and tying the kimono around her. There was a half length mirror in the room. She walked over to it and looked at herself. The kimono was really fancy. It looked like it belonged on a geisha. It hugged at her figure showing off her curves nicely.

Shizu walked over to her and complimented the way she looked but suggested that she wear her hair up and said she would be happy to help. Ann agreed. So Shizu guided her to sit on a pillow in front of a small backless chair. Shizu then began brushing her hair back for her. After only a few minutes her hair was brushed back into a neat pony tail that sat a bit high on her head. After that all she had to do was wait for Jak to 'pick her up'. So she chatted idly with Shizu until close to ten minutes later she heard a knock on the door. Shizu answered it. Ann stood up and walked closer as Shizu slid open the door.

Jak was standing on the other side of the door dressed in the same black and silver outfit that she remembered him wearing years ago. His eyebrows rose when he saw her standing behind Shizu. Shizu tapped Ann on the shoulder just before she was about to walk out the door. Ann looked at her curiously and Shizu handed Ann her katana. "I'm supposed to wear it?" Ann asked. Shizu nodded. It took Ann a minute to secure the katana on her hip. The wrappings of the kimono were a bit difficult to navigate, but she managed. The whole while Jak stood patiently at the door waiting.

"Okay. Here I am. So what did I get all dressed up for?" She asked out of curiosity. He held out his hand. "Come." Was all he said. She smirked but kept her mouth shut and let him lead her outside.

Once outside she had a harder time keeping her mouth shut. Two black horses stood patiently by the foot of the stairs in front of her. She felt like she was having déjà vu. Although she didn't remember the actual festival from when she was a child, this was starting to remind her of how it started.

"Surprised?" Jak asked beside her. "At least I get my own horse this time." She said laughingly.

He led her to the horse on the right and, since she was in a dress that was a bit difficult to maneuver in, he helped her into the saddle. She had to ride with both her legs on one side, but she was just happy to have her own horse, even though riding behind Jak had been pleasurable.

Once in the saddle she wiggled a bit to get more comfortable and readjusted her katana. Jak lifted himself onto the horse next to her. "I feel like I'm in the twilight zone…" Ann murmured. Jak smiled at her sarcasm and pulled on the reigns of his horse to direct it to turn around. Ann did the same and her horse followed. As the horses started moving Ann shifted in the saddle trying to get more comfortable.

This is going to be a long ride. I can already tell.

**But riding sidesaddle is dignified. Hehe**

It's not funny you ghoul.

"How long am I going to have to ride this horse?" Ann asked. Jak smirked. "As long as you like. Your more than welcome to walk." He replied. Ann scowled slightly. "I mean, how long till we get where your taking me?" She refined her question. Jak glanced back at her over his shoulder. "Let's just say you may want to get comfortable." Ann noticed that they were joining another group of people that were apparently headed to the same place that they were. Jak guided his horse to follow them from a distance and Ann did the same.

The group crossed the open area between the edge of the village and the tree line and headed towards a small narrow path that led out into the forest and Ann caught a glimpse of Devon and Sniper in the group. Ann was assuming that they would be staying the night where ever they were going.

The trail was a decent size. It wasn't so big that she had plenty of room, but it wasn't like branches were whacking her in the face.

Ugh. I can not ride a horse like this! It's awkward, embarrassing, and uncomfortable.

So throw your damn leg over. I'm sick of hearing you complain.

Ann scowled at Akira's impatience and her own discomfort. She waited until they were a fair distance from the village then as quickly and quietly as possible threw her leg over the back of the horse and placed her foot in the stirrup. She sighed in slight relief. She glanced at the train of her kimono to see that it was elegantly draped over the back of the horse. Smirking to herself she readjusted herself in the saddle to get more comfortable.

The trek through the jungle was just as long and exhausting as she expected it to be. After the first ten minutes it widened to allow two people to ride side by side with each other. At this point she urged her horse into a slight trot and got up beside Jak. He smirked at her new found 'position' atop the horse, but otherwise remained silent.

It felt like hours before the trail finally led to a large clearing and they were finally out in the open. Ann was relieved. She had been starting to feel a tad bit claustrophobic. She steered her horse off to the side so that she could see past the large group of people traveling in front of them. The clearing, she realized, was actually a large field. She suddenly felt like she was in some kind of John Wayne/ Samurai rerun. On the other side of the field, quite a ways away, was a gravel road that stretched off to the left and right before being obscured by more trees.

Ann smiled at the massive amount of space out in front of them. She urged her horse into a fast paced trot and then pulled it into a semi circle to stop and look back at Jak. He smirked at her but continued his steady pace. "What's wrong Jak? Don't you wanna play?" She asked sarcastically in Japanese. She could tell he was thinking long and hard about it. But he made no move to join her. She glared at him then just shrugged and let him ride past her a bit.

I'll teach him to play all nonchalant with me.

Just as he got ahead of her by a few horse lengths she galloped her horse at a full out run strait towards him. She turned to get up beside him and slowed a bit. As she was passing him she grabbed the reigns of his horse and pulled it into a run with hers. He tried to resist at first, but he really had no choice but to humor her.

After a few moments she let go of his horse and let him guide it on his own. She was expecting him to slow his horse but instead he kept his pace with her and the two of them ran in circles around the group of people that they were supposed to be following. Once, Ann recognized Jak's sensei among them. He gave her a kind smile. The rest of the group just scowled and ignored them. Ann couldn't help it. She had rode a horse before but always on these dumb supervised trails where the horses were trained to only follow the leaders at a slow walk. She had always wanted to run a horse.

Once the group made it to the gravel road Ann and Jak slowed their horses to a trot and followed as everyone took the road to the left. Ann had a pretty big smile on her face as they traveled down the slowly descending gravel road.

The road narrowed in places and widened in places, curving and winding down through the hills of the mountainside. There were several points where the trees thinned and Ann could actually see how high up they were on the mountain side. It was strange; she didn't think that they had ascended that high when they had first arrived at the village.

Several hours into their descent Ann began to get bored. Although the scenery was interestingly beautiful, a certain question had been plaguing her for some time. At the moment the road was wide enough for several people to ride side by side each other. Jak had been silent for the majority of the horse ride and he was currently riding ahead of her by a few paces. His silence had given her the opportunity to think into her situation more clearly. Not just her current situation, but of the bigger picture as well.

Ann picked up the pace a bit and got up beside Jak, who looked as implacable as ever. "So what's next?" Ann asked as his attention landed on her. He shrugged. "Next we enjoy our last night and day of our 'vacation'." He told her. Ann's eyes narrowed. "I meant after that." She informed him. "Well, after that were going back to 'good ole Gotham' to rescue your 'weaknesses' from the clutches of the evil pigs that are encroaching on my territory." He told her sarcastically.

Why do I want to clobber him when he talks like that?

She closed her eyes and took a breath. "I 'meant' what are we going to do once all that is taken care of? You know, since you've been looking for me for 8 years and now that you've found me, what's next?" She elaborated. He gave her an inspiring look.

"And who said I spent the last 8 years looking for you?" He asked sarcastically. She sighed. "Oh come on. I figured it out already. You going from city to city. Picking cities that specifically had a branch of Nightshade. It's obvious that you couldn't just wander around till you found me so you started causing trouble where ever you went hoping I would recognize you and find you. Then by simple chance I happen to be walking down a street at night and you run right into me. Eight years and here I am. Right here." She told him as she emphasized towards her position on the horse next to him. He laughed. "I don't base a lot on coincidence, but seeing you that night-" He shook his head. She smiled. "How did you know it was me?" She asked. "I didn't. I had my suspicions, but I didn't know for sure till your friend got pissed off and shouted your full name." He told her as he guided his horse to the left to avoid a rather large rock.

"So are you goinna answer my question or not?" She asked simply. Jak groaned and rolled his eyes. His obvious attempt to change the subject had failed. "That is a question for another day." He said then urged his horse to go faster. Ann frowned as he pulled ahead of her. "So that means I'm not going to like the answer." She said a bit loudly. He just exaggerated a shrug and rode on.

She toyed with the idea that since he had searched for her for some 8 odd years that maybe they were destined for each other and that he was planning on asking her to marry him and they would find somewhere to raise a family and settle down far, far away from all the bull shit. Then she mentally smacked herself for ever coming up with such a stupid idea. But it made her a bit happy. Although she would never admit it. It made sense to think that since she was what he was looking for the entire time he would stop the crazy clown thing then go lead a normal life. That was why he had done it to begin with, right?

A few minutes later the road bent to the left and wrapped around the side of the mountain like it had so many times before. But as Ann rode on the trees to their right thinned and below them Ann could see a large open area that looked like several crop fields. Ann could see where the gravel road they were on emerged from the trees farther down and went between the fields below. On the other side of the fields was another village. This one looked a bit larger than the small one that they had been previously staying at. After only a few short seconds the trees closed back in and eliminated her view.

At least were almost there.

Ann was uncomfortable with how vague Jak was being about what would happen next. She was also uncomfortable with how distant he was being. She was almost positive that it was because there was something he didn't want her to know. Resigning herself to wait she reminded herself that one of two things would eventually happen. Either he would tell her when he was ready or she would eventually figure it out. Instead of trying to force it out of him or put things together she focused instead on their surroundings and the village that was coming into view again as they rounded the last curve of the road that now led strait through several fields of crops.

By now the light was beginning to fade a bit but now that they were closer Ann could see that the village was actually a lot larger than she originally thought. From the vantage point higher on the mountain she had only seen a small part of it. From here she could see that there was a decent sized river that separated two halves of the village. The village was in a small valley that was completely surrounded by mountains. The river that flowed through the middle looked like it came from one of the mountains on the other side of the valley and snaked its way through to disappear on the other side. From across the valley she could hear the sound of music coming from the small village.

I knew it. It's another festival.

The group of people they were following picked up the pace out of excitement and Ann happily trotted her horse along with them.

She had to admit, even though she already knew a little of what to expect; there was a certain excitement that seemed to be hanging over her head. The fact that he had planned this all for her kind of made her feel all giddy, like a little kid.

As they got closer the music began getting louder. Jak, who had been riding behind her, trotted his horse up beside her. This surprised her a bit, considering how distant he had been during the ride there.

A picture flashed through her eyes. It only lasted a few moments, but it was there. People lined up and down the bank of a river. Paper lanterns floating slowly off into oblivion. And the feeling that came with it impacted her in such a way that she was nearly speechless. There was a deep and longing sadness everywhere, but also a joy that she didn't fully understand.

The flash of memory was gone just as quickly as it had arrived. Ann shook her head and rubbed her forehead. She always had a strange uncomfortable feeling in her head every time that happened.

It was his voice that snapped her out of her involuntary ignorance of what was going on around her. "You excited?" He asked her. She glanced at him and noticed he was studying her again. She acted like she was thinking about his question. "A little. Why? Should I be?" She asked. He laughed slightly. "I figured you'd 'remember'." He told her. She smirked. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't have a clue. Which is it?" She asked sarcastically. She was hoping to throw him off a little by asking him the exact thing he was trying to figure out. He studied her a moment longer. "I think with time, all secrets are revealed." He told her. She frowned.

She noticed Devon in her peripheral vision come up on her other side. His horse was a younger colt that was a bit too excited to have been saddle broke for very long. Ann had had a good laugh or two along the way watching Devon try to control the unwilling animal. The colt would try to sprint whenever it was given the chance and make attempts to go off where it wanted instead of where Devon wanted it to go. Devon's constant cursing and badgering at the animal made it all the more funnier. Several times the colt almost caused him to fall out of the saddle all together.

"So, are ya excited?" Devon asked her. Ann felt her face fall into an annoyed and sarcastic look. She glanced at Jak. He just shrugged his shoulders. She looked back at Devon. "Why do you ask?" She asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "Jeez. I was just wondering. Gawd, why you so bitchy?" Devon asked. Ann glared. Jak looked like he was about to say something when Ann, on an impulsive anger, reached out and slapped Devon's horse in the butt. The young colt reared and bucked then took off in a run. Devon managed to hold on for a moment while screaming as loud as possible. Devon was inevitably thrown from the horse to land on his ass on the ground as the horse skittered off the path. Ann smiled in satisfaction. She was having a hard time keeping herself from laughing. Jak didn't even bother holding back. His laughter erupted from beside her the moment he registered what she had done.

Ann and Joker's horses calmly walked on like nothing had happened. They walked past Devon who was still sitting on the ground with the most pitiful look on his face. Ann smirked at him. "Guess he won't be saying things like 'that' anymore." Jak mumbled once his fits of laughter subsided. Ann smiled and they rode on.

The village had looked a lot closer than it actually was. It took them a full half hour to reach it after emerging from the mountain road. When Ann mentioned this to Jak he explained that it was because of the large open area and that 'things are not always as they appear'. Nearly the entire valley had been cleared of trees and replaced with crop fields. There was still the occasional tree here and there. Most of them were along the road. Ann guessed it was to give shade to travelers during the hot summer days.

As they entered the outskirts of the village Ann looked around. People were coming out of their houses and lining up along the edge of the streets. It looked like they were all headed towards the center of the village. "What is this?" Ann whispered to Jak as they walked their horses through the streets. Jak leaned toward her. "This is the Toro Nagashi." He told her. She frowned. "You think you could be any more vague?" She asked sarcastically. He leaned towards her again. "It's the end of the Bon festival. Toro Nagashi is to mourn all those who have passed this year and to guide their spirits to the next world. We'll head to the motel then join the crowed by the river." He told her.

She decided to wait till they got to the motel to ask him anymore questions. As they moved down the streets Ann surveyed the people all moving about them. Everyone was dressed in black. Most of them were carrying those same paper lanterns that she had seen in her memory. The lanterns were made of either four or six sides of paper that were held up by thin wooden strips on the corners. The lanterns were about a foot high and sat solidly on a square wooden platform. Most of the paper lanterns were white but Ann could also see red ones mixed in with the others. Candles were placed in the middle of the paper lantern and lit when the lanterns were set afloat.

Ten minutes later Ann discovered that their motel sat squarely on the edge of the river that ran through the village. The village, she was discovering, was more like a town. There was still no electricity, but the place was so big in comparison to the small village that they had come from that it made up for the lack of 'civilization'.

Ann dismounted her horse, as gracefully as possible, once they were at the motel. Devon and Sniper were dismounted also. Jak paid the lady that was tending the front desk. It seemed that they had been just in time. The lady had been about to leave for the festival. Jak and Ann had their own room and Devon and Sniper had the one adjacent to theirs. The two rooms were separated by a sliding paper door. There was another door across the room from their bed. The furnishings were sparse but accommodating. The bed was big enough for the two to sleep comfortably. Ann tossed her bags in the corner and Jak did the same. She turned to look at him over her shoulder.

"Maybe you could explain this festival to me a bit more?" She asked hopefully. Jak smiled and opened one of his bags and pulled something out of it. His back was turned so that she couldn't see what it was. He laid it out on the bed and Ann moved around him to see. Her mouth dropped slightly at what she found. Jak was laying out two disassembled lanterns. "Normally these things take awhile to make. Since this was supposed to be a surprise; I couldn't really tell you to start making yours months ago." He explained as he sat down on the floor next to the bed. She knelt down next to him. "So one of these is mine?" She asked as he started putting one together slowly, showing her how. She mimicked him with the lantern in front of her. "No. One of these is your father's." He told her. That was when it sank in. She was making a paper lantern to mourn the passing of her father and she would set it adrift in the river so that it would guide his soul to the next world. Tears streamed down her face as she copied him in putting together the paper lantern. Glue was used to hold the lantern and the candle on the wooden board. The paper on hers was red and the paper on Jak's was white.

He handed her a calligraphy brush when they were finished. "Write something on each face of the lantern. Something meaningful to you and your father." He instructed her. Both hers and Jak's had four sides. Jak got to work writing on his lantern. Ann looked at the calligraphy brush in her hand and then at the lantern in her lap. She thought hard about what to write. Then it came to her. Four words that symbolized everything her father had ever been to her and meant to her. For words that said exactly who he had taught her to be. In Japanese she wrote the words "Honor" "Bravery" "Commitment" and "Love". When she was finished she nearly cried all over again. Jak didn't seem to notice.

By the time she collected herself Jak had finished his calligraphy. "What's the difference between the red ones and the white?" She asked him. He glanced at her as they headed for the door. "The red ones are to guide over the souls of loved ones who have died in the last year." He told her. "And the white ones?" She asked. He looked at the white lantern in his hands. "To remember and mourn those who died long before this year." He told her. She didn't comment but she felt that same sadness in him that she had felt in her memory. It made her wonder: who had died in his past?

They exited the motel and joined the steady crowed that was congregated along the river. Devon and Sniper were nowhere to be seen. Ann tried to look over his shoulder to see what he had written but her vision was blocked. They patiently waited while the people took turns walking to the edge of the river and gently sat their lanterns into the slowly drifting water. Most of the people would mutter a short prayer as they placed the lanterns in the water, then they would walk off and let someone else have a turn.

It wasn't long before Ann found herself standing at the edge of the water next to Jak with her lantern in her hand. She gently sat the lantern in the water and watched as it slowly floated out to join the others. The light from the lanterns lit up the dark waters as they floated off into the unknown. Ann stepped back and made her way back through the crowed as another person took her place by the river. She found Jak moments later and together they walked to a clear area behind the crowed of people.

Ann started back towards their motel but Jak took her by the arm gently and shook his head. She frowned and followed him as he led her further into the town. Jak stopped outside of what looked like a small sake house. "Care for a drink?" he asked in a slightly upbeat tone. "Umm. Sure." She said hesitantly. He stepped inside and she followed.

They sat at a small wooden table that was next to an open window that had strips of wood across it creating slots where you could look out into the street. Ann was a bit surprised that they were open considering the festival. Jak explained that a lot of people tended to like drinking after they floated their lanterns. Ann could understand that.

The waitress was an elderly woman that looked like she had seen a lot of hell in her lifetime. Jak ordered a bottle of sake and the nice lady was back with the bottle in no time at all. Jak poured the whiskey for both of them and they sat and sipped at their rice liquor in silence for awhile.

After a few glasses Ann began to get curious. "So, you never did tell me how you ended up in Japan." She mumbled before taking another sip of her sake. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. It looked like he was about to spill his life story when he froze, his eyes on the door behind her. Ann furrowed her eyebrows. It seemed today was just not her day for getting information from him.

Ann twisted to look towards the door behind her. In the entrance stood a man. He was tall, broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hips. His build was similar to Jak's. He was wearing what looked like a light tan cowboy duster that went down to just above his ankles. His hair was long and black as night. A pair of thin and light looking glasses were perched on the bridge of his nose. But what shocked her most were his eyes. His eyes. The most startling green that she had seen in only one person. Ann slowly turned back to face the man sitting across from her.

"No way."


	32. Chapter 32

"No way."

**Holy shit. Is that his father?**

He's cute.

**You sicko!**

Ann shoved the mental aggravation at Akira to the back of her mind and focused on the two men. Jak still looked shocked. He recovered from it rather quickly and covered it up by acting like he was completely oblivious to both her exclamation and the man behind her. He sipped at his sake and looked off out the window like he was the only one there.

Ann was at a complete loss of what to do in this situation. There had never been any kind of mention of his parents or any family. And she wasn't exactly a social expert to begin with. She was suddenly tense and faced strait ahead trying her best to ignore the feel of the man's eyes piercing her back. After a few moments she heard the man move from the door and walk strait in their direction. There was so much tension in the room that she felt like she was going to suffocate. Suddenly, she realized that the man was standing directly behind her. She gulped and tried as hard as she could to remain as still as possible. Jak was the most dangerous man in the world as far as she was concerned. She could only imagine what his father was like.

There was a loud thud and Ann belatedly realized that the man had been carrying a suitcase, which he had just dropped on the floor behind her. Then to her surprise he took a seat next to her at the table across from Jak.

Ann slowly turned to look at him only to realize that he was inches from her face. In a stunning flash of similarity she nearly fell off the bench.

"Wow. You are gorgeous! Look at that ass!" The man exclaimed. Ann's eyes widened. "What the hell?" She yelled as she jumped up to stand glaring at the man. "Calm down lassie. It's a compliment." He said as he waived her off. "Sit. Sit. I'd much like to meet the woman who's captured my son's heart." Ann slowly sat back down. Jak suddenly sighed. "Go away. No one wants you here old man." He said while still staring out the window.

Ann's gaze flicked between the two of them. "Well that's an awfully rude thing to say to your father. After, what, nine or ten years, you'd think I'd get a warm welcome." The man told him with a smile on his face. The old lady brought him a bottle of sake and he happily drank. Jak continued to ignore the man. "So, little lady, what's your name?" He asked her. She looked at him warily. "Ann." She said quietly while eyeing him. "Marvelous! I'm Alexander. Nice to meet you." He exclaimed as he thrust his hand out for her to shake it.

She felt like she was about to go into shock as she shook the man's hand. "So boy. Just passing through? I assume you've been to see that teacher of yours." Alexander said in Jak's direction. Jak ground his teeth in response. "None of your business you lecherous snake. What do you want?" He asked in an obviously annoyed tone of voice. Alexander turned back to Ann. "So beautiful, where are you from?" he asked her, ignoring Jak's question. Ann glanced between them. "Umm…" "Don't answer. We're leaving." Jak said suddenly as he stood up. He downed the rest of his sake before leaving money on the table. He then walked around the table, all but yanked her out of her seat, and dragged her towards the door.

Once outside in the streets he let out a huge sigh of relief as she followed him towards a different part of the town. "So…" She was fumbling looking for the right words. He stopped in the middle of the street and faced her. "Yes, that was my father. No, I'm not interested in a relationship with him. Yes, I hate him. Yes, he is a lecherous snake of a pervert that had nothing to do with me when I was a child. And no, I don't wanna talk about it." He told her. "Umm, Okay. Sure." She told him in the most reassuring tone of voice she could manage. He turned and continued walking and she followed. "So where are we going now?" She asked. He sighed again. "A better place." He told her. "Okay."

Jak led her deeper into the town along the river. From what Ann could tell from the brief glimpses of the river, they were headed down stream. After about fifteen or twenty minutes they came to a bridge that connected one side of the town to the other. Ann followed as Jak walked to the edge of the bridge where the metal scaffolding connected with the land. It was a fairly large bridge, as it was a fairly large river. Jak grabbed hold of the cold metal beam and pulled himself up onto it then continued to climb upwards toward the top of the scaffolding that supported the bridge. Ann watched him for a few moments before sighing and looking down at the kimono she was wearing.

Damn it. If he was goinna have me climbing around like a cat then why the hell couldn't he have given me hakamas instead of this kimono?

She complained silently to herself as she hauled herself up onto the first beam and followed him up to the top of the bridge. Jak had perched himself at the very top. Once she got close to him he held out his hand and helped her climb the rest of the way up. Once at the top she sat next to him on the beam of the bridge. "So what are we doing up here?" She asked. He smiled and pointed out towards the water. She looked out where he was pointing and here eyes widened. From their vantage point she could see the whole river. It was lit by the sparkling dots of shimmery light coming off the candles. It was like looking at the stars only it was more beautiful. She looked down at the water below them to see that the lanterns were still flowing from the part of town that was up stream from them.

"It's beautiful." She said. She really couldn't think of a better word. She looked back at him with a smile. He smirked at her. "Happy birthday." He told her.

Her mouth dropped open. "Wha- What day is it?" She asked in astoundment. His smile grew. "July 7th." He told her. She nearly fell off the beam that she was perched on. He steadied her. "It's my birthday." She said as if she couldn't believe it. "How did you know?" She asked. He laughed. "You told me, last time you were here. I brought you to this same spot. You don't remember?" He asked. She laughed slightly. "It comes back in bits and pieces, only when it wants to." She explained to him.

The two of them spent hours up on the top of the bridge just watching the lanterns float below them. Knowing each light was a memory of a person who was lost to the world.

Eventually they decided it was time to go get some sleep. Jak began to descend from their perch on the bridge. "Umm. How am I supposed to get down?" She asked in a slightly annoyed tone of voice. He laughed. "The same way you got up." He told her then continued his descent. Ann rolled her eyes and followed him, carefully. Once back on the ground they headed back towards their motel. As soon as they started back towards the motel Ann could feel eyes on her. After the first ten minutes of walking she began to get paranoid.

"I think someone's following us." She mumbled as they turned a corner. Jak smirked. "Yeah. He's been following us for awhile." He told her. Ann resisted the urge to look behind her. "What do we do?" She asked. He cracked his neck. "Ignore him." He said and kept walking.

"Is it your… father?" She asked hesitantly after a few moments had passed. He sighed. "Probably. I was honestly surprised to see him here." He told her. She glanced at him. "Isn't this where you were raised? Where else would he be?" She asked, curious. He frowned. "I want you to understand this. I never planned on you having to meet him. For some reason he's suddenly taken an interest in my life. He would never come here unless he was looking for me." He told her.

That statement made her even more curious. She wanted badly to know about his family. She held off on her questions though. Knowing Jak, things would happen the way they would. And if his father was anything like him, she was sure she hadn't seen the last of him just yet.

It wasn't long before they arrived back at the small motel. They entered their room and Ann shut the door behind them. She was hungrier than she had been in a long time. They hadn't eaten since before they left the small village that was on the other side of the mountains. Jak told her he was going to go out and take care of something. She had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with his father. She nodded and watched him slip through the door and close it behind him. She sat on the bed for a few minutes trying to think of something to do to pass the time. Her stomach grumbled at her and she resisted the urge to curse at it, which probably would have made her look insane. She went to her bags and dug through them looking for something to eat. She had been hoping to find a hidden candy bar somewhere under the clothes, but she had no luck.

She sighed in annoyance and dropped herself onto the bed after she had literally emptied all her bags out into the floor. Glancing around the room her eyes came to rest on Jak's bags that were tossed onto and around a chair that was across the room from her. She stared at them for a long moment.

I'm so hungry. You think he's got any food in there?

**-snores-**

Oh my God. What's the point?

She glanced at his bags again. Finally determined she got up off the bed and began to, carefully, dig through his bags. After she had thoroughly gone through the first bag and found nothing she began looking through the second one.

Half way through the second bag she froze. Slowly she pulled her cell phone out of the bag and looked at it like it would bite her. Suddenly all the things waiting for her in Gotham swam through her head. Ashley was most likely in jail being questioned by the police and probably facing charges for helping get Joker out of that swat van. And Misa was probably running the company and under constant surveillance if she hadn't been detained as well. But on the off chance that they hadn't found Ashley yet Ann felt she had to take the chance to warn her, despite the possibility of them tracking her phone. Ann glanced at the door expecting Jak to walk in and catch her with her hands in the cookie jar. Quickly she put his bags back like they had been and then turned on her phone.

The phone was a cheap prepaid model so it took a minute to get it to come on. When it did the screen lit up telling her she had missed calls. She looked at the list and nearly fainted. She had close to 80 missed calls on her phone and probably just as many voice mails. Apparently Misa had been a lot more worried than she thought. Ann scrolled down the list and received another shock of surprise. She had missed calls from Bruce. Ann stared at the screen of her phone in surprise. Bruce had called her just as much, if not more, than Misa had. She also had several calls from Ashley. At this point she was stand over the chair that Jak's bags were in staring at her phone. She was trying to figure out who it would be safest to call first, Misa or Ash, when someone coughed discreetly at the door.

Ann jumped and whirled around to see Jak standing in the door. She stuffed the phone in the sleeve of her kimono behind her back and tried to look normal.

"Been naughty, have we?" He asked in that menacingly smooth voice. She stayed silent. He slowly walked towards her. As he got closer she slowly backed up until her back was against the wall. "I'm hungry. I was just looking for something to eat." She told him as he leaned his arm against the wall next to her head and leaned towards her. He had a smirk on his face that said he'd already figured out everything.

"Really?" He asked in a sarcastic tone. He leaned in closer to her and their lips touched. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into him to deepen the kiss.

He broke the kiss slowly with a smile then slowly raised his free hand to reveal her phone. Her jaw dropped and she snatched it from him. "You've got no reason to be mad." She told him as she turned to face away from him. "You should have given it back days ago anyway." He laughed at her. "You know why I didn't. But it is yours. So I'll let it slide for now. Just don't make any calls till were on our way home. The people of this village don't like to be bothered by the outside world. Somehow I doubt they'll take a visit from your 'dear' dark knight very kindly." He told her as he walked to the door across the room and slid it open. From his tone of voice she could tell he was bothered. And she understood why. Of course he couldn't be sure because she hadn't officially said it yet, but he knew who Batman really was. She could see how the idea of her dating a guy that turned out to be his arch nemesis would piss him off. Hell the thought of her dating anyone pissed him off enough. Ann walked over to where he stood in the door way of the back bedroom door and glanced outside.

Only now did she realize just how close the motel was to the river. Two feet outside the door was the water of the river. It was 'right there'. There was still a steady stream of paper lanterns going down the river, but they were beginning to thin out. Jak leaned against the doorway and stared out at the water. Ann slowly sat down on the floor and watched as the lanterns slowly floated by the doorway. She pulled her legs up to wrap her arms around them then rested her chin on her knees. "Sorry." She mumbled. "I didn't mean to be inconsiderate." She told him. He ran his hands through his hair then sat down with a 'thump' next to her. "It was my fault for trying to control everything." He told her with a sigh. "Well, maybe you've learned a lesson then." She commented. He was silent.

A few moments went by before she lazily let herself fall over against him and stared out at the water. Jak turned to look at her head on his shoulder. He smirked slightly then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

It was silent for awhile then Ann began comparing Jak to his father. She noticed that his father was definitely a bit on the eccentric side. Of course they had a lot of similarities, including the way that they seemed to like screwing with people.

Thinking over everything that had happened the last few days Ann began feeling a bit sorry for Jak. Here he had brought her to his home and set up this entire thing for her to bring back her memories when she had already remembered. So he must have felt that it had been a bit pointless. Also on the 'special' night, her birthday, he had had this perfect and romantic evening planned and his father showed up and probably spoiled the majority of it for him. Top it all off with the fact that he had been watching her date another guy for months and that the guy turned out to be the one man that was supposedly his arch nemesis. Yeah. That definitely made a difference.

It wasn't long after that when Ann fell asleep. The activities of the last few days finally caught up with her and she dozed off still leaning against his shoulder.

* * *

 

She was running. She couldn't tell from who or what. But there was an urgency to get where she was going. Leaves and tree branches came in contact with her face as she swatted them out of her way. She ducked and dodged her way through trees and bushes trying her best to head in a strait line. Her footsteps were light as her feet lightly made contact with the earth below her. She could feel the damp dirt beneath her feet. With a shock she realized she must be barefoot. The distraction cost her as a snarled tree root jumped out at her. She stumbled and fell forward too fast for her to catch herself. But instead of smashing into the ground below her she tumbled over the edge of a steep hill.

She tried helplessly to stop herself as she rolled down the hill. Pain erupted from her elbows and knees as the grass of the hill became rock. She pulled her arms and legs into her to keep from breaking something. Her head took a blow and her world went fuzzy. The hill eased into a gentle slope and she came to a sliding stop on her stomach. She shook her head trying to get rid of the pulsing pain and pushed herself up. But before she could fully stand her feet slipped on the loose rocks. With a jolt she scrambled to grab hold of anything she could as her feet slipped off the edge of a cliff that she had miraculously avoided rolling off of. Luckily, she took hold of a large rock that was wedged deep into the ground as her legs slipped over.

The sound of small rocks clattering against the side of the cliff echoed around her. She panicked and her feet scrambled to find a foot hold anywhere. She forced herself to calm down and breath as she relaxed her feet and tried to pull herself back up over the cliff. Her breath caught in her throat when the rock she had a hold of slipped slightly beneath her hand. She didn't have time to try again. The rock slipped and she fell.

* * *

 

Ann jolted upright as she woke at the last second. Her breathing was heavy and she was covered in a thin sheet of sweat. She panted trying to control her breath. After she had her wits about her she marveled. That had been the first time in years for her to have a nightmare. She could hardly believe it. She glanced around the room. Jak wasn't in bed, nor was he even in the room. She sighed in slight relief. She didn't feel like getting the 'did the poor baby have a nightmare' treatment. Not that she believed he would, but she wouldn't put it past him either. She went through the events of the night before and realized he must have put her in bed. With that thought in mind she had a flash of worry that he had taken her cell phone again. But she found it sitting on the table next to the bed.

She went over the dream again and tried to make some sense of it as she rifled through her bags looking for clothes. She thought it strange; she had never had a dream quite like that one before. Normally she had no control over what she did in the dream, but this time she had been surprised at being barefoot and it had caused her to fall over a cliff in the dream.

She dressed in a black tank top and blue jeans and laced up her boots. After strapping on her knife and guns she felt more herself than she had in months. She pulled her leather blazer out of a bag and scowled at the wrinkles as she tried to smooth them out. When she was finally satisfied with it she slung it over her shoulders and whipped it on in a fluid motion. With a smile of satisfaction she walked across the room to a table where a bowl of fresh fruit had been placed. She picked up an apple and took a bite as she slid open the door that led to the water. She was once again reminded how beautiful it was up in the mountains. Everything was so much simpler. It was amazing what a few days in this place did for a person. She finished her breakfast while looking at the mountains and listening to the water pass her by.

When she was ready she threw her bags over her shoulder and walked to the exit. But she gave one last look out the open door at the water and resolved to come back someday. She then turned back around and headed out to find Jak and the others with a new confidence.


	33. Chapter 33

Ann stood looking up at her dark apartment building. The streets were wet from the rain and the air was cold and gusty. It was night and the Joker had just dropped her off and told her that he'd be back in around half an hour. Now that they were back in the city he was back to wearing his makeup and trademark purple coat. Ann was anxious to find out what had happened while she had been gone. But she knew that it would take a cautious approach to keep her out of jail. She was going to have to wait for Joker to talk to his sources and find out where they were keeping Ash.

Ann readjusted the strap of her bags over her shoulder and headed up to her apartment. The elevator ride up was a bit tense for her. By now the police had finished their search of her apartment so she wasn't expecting them to still be there. But she was expecting it to be trashed. When she got to her floor she wasn't surprised to find the doors covered in police tape. She ripped it away then opened the door. The room was dark but her eyes were already adjusted to the night. Looking around the room the signs of Joker's fight with Bruce were still there. Ann sighed and dropped her bags on the floor after running her fingers through her hair in annoyance. She was about to take off her coat when movement at the balcony door caught her attention.

She pulled out her pistol and aimed as Batman stepped into the room. She had to remind herself that this was actually Bruce in a bat costume. It was hard to think of him as Batman, but when she thought about it, it actually made sense. He was rich and could get anything he needed for his 'night job'. And he was always sneaking up on her by accident. He was so quiet when he moved. And the way he carried himself suggested that he could stand up in a fight. Stand out even. And he had.

"What do you want?" She asked still sighting down the gun. "I've been looking for you for days." He told her as he stepped forward. She backed up. "If you think your going to bring me in you've got another thing comin your way." She told him. He looked a bit surprised. "Take you in? I don't want to take you in. I want to help you." He said. She looked at him like he was some kind of alien. "You don't?" She asked as she slowly lowered her gun. "You actually thought I'd want to arrest you?" He asked. "What about the police? I thought you worked with them." She said. "I usually do." He told her sincerely. She was amazed more than anything. "So you didn't tell them? And what about Ash? She's not in jail?" she asked.

"You were kidnapped. What did you think I would tell them?" He took another step forward. "Are you okay?" He asked attentively. She gave him a strange look. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" She asked as she put her gun away and took her jacket off. "You were kidnapped. By the Joker." He stated simply. "Speaking of him, you'd better go. He said he's coming back soon. And I really don't want you two tearing up my damned living room." She told him. It seemed she had told him to leave a bit too late though. As she talked she noticed his gaze turn cold as he looked behind her.

She glanced over her shoulder to see Joker standing in the doorway behind her. "I mean what I said!" She yelled at him as he began to move forward. "Your not going to fight with him here!" She told him sternly. "And what's going to stop me? You?" He asked sarcastically. She glared. "I'll call the cops Joker. I swear I'll do it." She said as she stepped away and pulled out her phone. He scoffed. "I'll be long gone before the cops show up." He told her. "That's the point." She told him. He glared at her as his demeanor turned a bit sour. "And what about him? He works for the cops." He told her pointedly.

"I know he has enough respect to not fight in my living room!" She yelled at him. Batman was just standing there with his arms crossed waiting for their argument to come to an end. "Fine. But I'm not leaving my girlfriend alone with a vigilante who dresses up like a flying rat." Joker said as he glanced at Batman. "Well I'm not leaving a helpless civilian alone with a psychotic clown." Batman retorted calmly. Ann's jaw dropped a bit. "I'm 'hardly' a helpless civilian!" She yelled. Then she realized what was going on as she glanced back and forth between the two of them. Her face fell. "Oh hell no." She glanced back at Joker. "You ass hole." He exaggerated a shrug as he smirked at her.

"Awe screw this. I'll leave." She told them both. "If you leave, then they'll be no one to call the police." Joker told her. "I don't need the police to take care of you." Batman commented from behind her. Joker's smirk got wider. "That's not what it looked like last time….." He said as he trailed off. Ann saw Bruce's eyes narrow slightly behind the mask. "Okay that's enough. From now on we'll be following the golden rule. If you can't say anything nice to each other then shut the hell up." She said pointedly to both of them.

It was silent and tense for a few moments until she sighed and walked to the kitchen. Opening the fridge she grabbed a Dr. Pepper and opened it to take a drink.

"Either of you want one?" She asked. "No thank you." Batman said politely. "Sure 'baby'." Joker replied as he walked over to her. "Don't do that." She told him in an annoyed tone. He looked at her curiously. "What?" She gave him a snide look. "Try to pull that shit. You never call me baby." She told him then walked over to sit on the couch and turned on the tv. Batman sat down next to her. "It's going to be okay." He told her quietly. She glanced at him in slight amazement. Joker glared at them from the kitchen then strode into the living room and sat on the opposite side of her. He relaxed back into the couch and draped his arm over her shoulder. She sighed. "Looks like I'm not getting any sleep tonight." She muttered as she looked at the tv without watching it. "Relax love. I can make him leave any time I want." Joker commented beside her. Batman glared. "I'd like to see you try." He said darkly. "You will once I get bored." Joker told him while watching tv. "So Batman, I have a question." Joker said sarcastically. "Are you a vampire bat or a fruit bat?" His question was followed by a bit of manic laughter. Ann glared at him warningly. The look on her face made him laugh a bit more. She sighed and crossed her arms.

"I don't know about 'you', but 'I' have a lot to do tomorrow." She said in an annoyed tone. "Oh so do I." He commented then took a drink. "Places to rob, people to kill….. bats to brutalize." Batman suddenly stood. Apparently his patience had worn off. Ann stood also, ready to try and diffuse the situation again. Joker just sighed. "Fine, looks like my funs over." He said, but he remained seated. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. Ann watched Joker quizzically wondering what he was doing. She glanced next to her and noted that Batman was doing the same.

Joker's voice suddenly broke through the silence. "Hey, get the boys together and go blow something up." Ann gaped at him. "Twenty minutes? Perfect. Make it an apartment building or something. Lots of casualties." He told whoever was on the other end. He hung up then tsked. "Looks like it's just not your day bats. You don't get the girl, you don't get to prove your point, you don't get to try to kick my ass, and now you gotta run around the city waiting for a boom." He counted them off with his fingers.

It took a moment but a smile slowly formed on her face. Then she laughed. "Looks like he wins this round, tiger." She said to batman with a small giggle. Batman scowled. "This isn't over Joker." He said gruffly before walking to the balcony and simply jumping off.

His sudden disappearance startled her slightly. She was used to people walking out and slamming the door. It was quite different for someone to disappear so suddenly. It was quiet for a moment as she looked back at Joker. "Are you really goinna blow up a building?" She asked. He laughed. "Not tonight." He told her. They both burst out into laughter.

* * *

 

~The next day~

"No. Like I've said five times now. He just let me go."

"And did he ever say what his reasons were to kidnap you in the first place?"

"He did mention liking the company of red headed women once. But nothing other than that."

"What did he have you do while in his captivity?"

"I was mostly kept in a dark room. The windows were boarded up. But several times he asked me to cook."

"And whom did you cook for?"

"Just him. I never saw anyone else."

"It must have been terrifying."

"It was at first. But he was actually rather nice to me."

"In what way?"

"Well, he never hurt me."

"And you say you don't know where it was that he was keeping you?"

"No. I was blindfolded."

"And why didn't come to the police last night when you were set free?"

"To be honest, I was quite tired. I didn't sleep much while I was held captive, as you might imagine."

"And where was it that he released you?"

"About a block from my apartment building."

"Thank you Miss Giovanni. You have been most helpful. And might I say your bravery is quite commendable. I'm glad to see that your safe."

"Thank you commissioner."

"Do you have someplace safe you could stay until the Joker is apprehended? With a friend perhaps?"

"I hadn't given much thought to it. I shall have arrangements made."

"Thanks again miss. This officer will escort you out."

"Thank you."

Ann opened the door to the police station and walked out into the morning sun. The light was nearly blinding and she was glad to have her sunglasses. She walked to her car and drove to Nightshade.

The receptionist in the main lobby was shocked to see her when she walked by. She also got several comments from people on the elevator ride up who said they were glad she was okay. When she finally reached her office she wasn't surprised to see a receptionist sitting in Misa's usual secretary seat. "Oh, miss Giovanni. You back?" The girl said. She looked young. She had short black hair and innocent blue eyes. "Yes. Thank you for serving as secretary. You may return to your previous post now." Ann told the girl as she walked past. "Of course. Thank you miss." She said politely. Ann pushed the doors open.

Misa was sitting at the desk. It looked like she had been desperately trying to finish paperwork. Misa looked up from the desk. In a matter of seconds she was across the room and nearly knocked Ann over in a hug.

"Gah! Misa what the hell?" Ann yelled as she tried to recover her balance. "I was so worried about you!" Misa yelled. She sounded almost hysterical. "Why? You knew I was never in any real danger." Ann told her. "But he just disappeared for so long then suddenly kidnaps you." She replied. At that moment Ann heard footsteps on the other side of the door and she shushed Misa who suddenly looked scared.

There was a soft knock on the door as it was pushed open again and Bruce slipped in. "I have great news Misa. They found her-" he cut himself off as he spotted the two of them. Ann glared at him in annoyance. He closed the distance between them and embraced her in a hug. "You snake." She whispered in his ear. "Shh. Later." He whispered back. She shrugged out of his hug and backed up a pace. "Oh, I have some work for you." Misa said lightly. Ann nearly groaned. "My first day back and I have to work?" She asked sarcastically. "I didn't approve any new products while you were gone. I figured you would want to do that yourself." Misa explained. Ann nodded. "Actually it's all gotten rather backed up. R and D have been keeping busy." She explained. An idea clicked inside her head. "Okay. I'll go down there and take care of it." She said then turned to leave. "Oh, I'll come with you then. I do so love watching you work." Bruce commented as he began to follow.

Damn it.

"You haven't seen anything yet." She mumbled as she exited the room and headed for the elevator and he followed.

In the elevator it was silent a moment as he pushed the button and they waited for the doors to close. Once they did she turned and scowled at him. "How long do you plan on spying on me?" She asked with a slight bit of venom. "I'm not spying. I genuinely wanted to see you." He said calmly.

"Yeah, okay. Your just trying to get information. Or… are you here to try to preserve your little secret?" She asked skeptically. The doors opened and she walked out. Bruce followed her down the hall. "I want to help you. That's what I've been trying to do all along." He told her as they walked down the hall. "You really think I need help, don't you. He must really push your buttons, huh." She commented. "He disgusts me. He's a monster." He told her. And she had no doubts that he was being honest. She smirked. "He's not so bad once you get to know him." She said. He stopped walking. She frowned and began to turn to look at him.

She was suddenly pushed against the wall. He stood there over her with his head cast down and his eyes closed with his hands against the wall on either side of her. "Not so bad? After all he's done? All the people he's killed?" He jerked his head up to stare at her. "And you say he's not so bad?"

She stared back at him. "He may be a monster, but in another life he could have been revered as a saint." She told him angrily before she brushed past his arms and kept walking. She knew that her anger was unjustified and that he was right. She had been trying to ignore Joker's killing streaks. In truth she was nearly mortified by what he had said to her. The anger was a way for her to try to hide it.

After a moment he came after her and stopped her again, this time more gently. "I'm sorry. I forget your in a delicate situation. I didn't mean to upset you. But it's our actions that speak out to who we are. Not our potential."

There it was again. That uncanny way he had that cut to the quick when he was serious. It was almost enough to make her break down. She could imagine what her face looked like when she looked back at him. She was glad no one else was there to see it.

Then someone called out to her from behind them and they both turned to see Ashley running towards them. She was suddenly unbelievably grateful as she remembered thinking that Ashley was locked up in police custody because of her. Ashley jumped her like Misa had. Bruce watched them almost fondly as Ann turned her head to look at him while Ashley was still hugging her. Ann mouthed 'thank you'. He just smirked back at her.

"Oh my God! You have NO idea how glad I am to see you. Misa was about to drive me insane! It was like she was having a conniption fit. I tried to tell her you'd be fine and he'd never-" Ann cut her off with a stern look. Ashley's eyebrows rose. Her face said 'oh yeah'.

"You know what? You should take me out to a nice lunch to make up for it." Ashley told her as she pulled her back down the hall towards the elevator. "Sorry Bruce." Ashley called back at him. "We have girl stuff to catch up on. Bie!"

Ann silently Thanked Ashley as the elevator doors closed and she relaxed a bit with a heavy sigh. It looked like she wouldn't be working on her day back after all. She turned to Ashley and hugged her again. "I was worried about you. I thought they had you in jail." She told her. Ashley looked at her strangely. "Jail? Why would I be in jail?" She asked. That's when Ann froze up. She wanted to tell Ashley that Bruce was Batman and that he had figured out who she was, but then Bruce was the one who had kept Ashley out of jail. He could have had her arrested but he didn't.

"There's someone close to me that knows who I am now." Ann tried to explain without explaining. Ashley frowned. "Well everyone that's close to you knows who you are." She commented. Ann wanted to smack herself in the face. "Okay. Listen. I can't tell you who it is, but someone who was close to me but didn't know who I 'really' was now knows everything." Ann told her. That just made Ashley frown more. Ann sighed. "Damn it. I know who Batman is, but I can't tell you." She told her. Ashley looked surprised. "What? Why not?" She asked in confusion. "Because he's the one who kept you out of jail. He knows who I am. Who we are." She said desperately. "Well, why hasn't he taken us to the cops? Why haven't they come to catch us?" She asked suddenly panicked. Ann sighed and looked down. "I don't know." Ashley looked at her seriously. "You do know, don't you? You just can't say without giving it away. Right?" Ann nodded. "Well so what? Tell Joker and he'll get rid of him. Neither of us will be in danger anymore." Ashley suggested. "I can't do that! He could have told the cops everything! Could have sent you to jail and I'd be on a most wanted list!" She explained again. Ashley sighed. "Why wouldn't he tell?" She mused to herself. "Unless it's someone who cares about you." She gasped. "Oh my God!" She looked at Ann with a shocked expression. "It's Bruce?" She whispered. Ann looked away.

Well, I didn't tell her.

**That's right. She figured it out on her own. So he can't blame you.**

"It is him isn't it." It hadn't been a question. The elevator doors opened and they stepped out into the main lobby. "Where you wanna eat at?" Ann asked.

Twenty minutes later they were in a small café across town waiting for their food. "So you guys are at like a stand still. You both have info that could ruin the other. He could send us to jail and we could out him to Jak." Ashley commented. "What's screwed up is Jak already has a pretty good idea that it's him. I don't know what he plans to do. But they spent a full half hour in the same room last night without fighting." Ann told her. Ashley looked wide eyed. "Why weren't they fighting?" She asked. "Well Jak wasn't cause I threatened to call the cops if he did. And I guess Bruce didn't just cause he has enough respect to not fight in my living room if I say not to." Ann told her. Ashley laughed. "I'd have given just about anything to see that." She said.

"I don't know what to do. He kept you outta jail and didn't put me on a wanted poster because he cares for me. But he's friggin Batman. The guy I fought tooth and nail against with Jak." Ann whispered. "It looks like your in a rough place. Your eventually goinna have to choose one of them." Ashley commented. Ann looked alarmed. "What? Choose one of them? Jesus, I thought I'd already chosen. Ugh! I can't think strait! What am I goinna do?" Ann said and laid her head on the table between them.

The words Bruce had said to her earlier swam through her head. She had killed people. She had killed Maroni's brother. She had mostly killed people when she had had no other choice. But Maroni's brother was different. She hadn't had to kill him. But he had deserved it. She realized it wasn't her place to decide that. But he had made her so angry. So angry that she could hardly contain it.

I'll never lose control like that again.

She suddenly felt really low.

~Its our actions that speak to our personality, not our potential.~

Those words seemed to make her feel a little better. Their food arrived shortly after that. "I think Bruce loves you." Ashley commented between her hastily shoveling food into her mouth. "Jak is more chaotic, which suits your personality. But it's also really bad for you. But Bruce is like everything. He's hansom, funny, dark, hot as hell, and really smart." Ashley said. "If he's so smart then why can't he get rid of the clown?" Ann mumbled. Ashley laughed slightly. "I don't know. Jak is really smart too. And he knows how to work around the law. He might even be smarted than Bruce." She replied. "Bruce also cares about you enough to keep you safe even though it means not catching the Joker. I bet if he hadn't kept his mouth shut he could probably get him in a matter of days. Or if you help him willingly…." She trailed off. "That's not going to happen." Ann said firmly. "Well then what will you do? You goinna rat out Bruce?" Ashley asked. Ann shrugged. "I'm not going to rat on him. But I don't know what I'm goinna do either. I guess the only thing I can do is try my best to keep them from killing each other. Even though that's kind of taking Jak's side. It's all I can think of. If they keep going at it like they have been eventually one of them will die." Ann said.

Ashley looked at her seriously for a moment. "I know you care for Jak, but you do care for Bruce too. I can tell. You wouldn't be so upset about it and you wouldn't be going through all this trouble if you didn't" Ann continued eating her food without comment. "What do you think Jak feels for you?" Ashley asked suddenly. Ann scowled. "I have no idea." She admitted. "He went through so much trouble to find me. He left his home and went to Tulsa knowing that my father's main branch of the company was there. Then he treks across the country to all the cities that had a branch causing trouble hoping I would recognize him and come find him. Then by chance we run into each other in Gotham." Ann said. "Well it seems like an awfully lot of trouble to go through for someone you don't care about." Ashley admitted. "He has to feel something for you or he wouldn't have done it." She took another bite of her food.

"I know you figured it out on your own, but you have to promise not to tell anyone who Bruce really is. Not even Misa." Ann told her and she nodded. Suddenly Ann knew how Joker must have felt when he couldn't tell her about her father. He said that it wasn't his story to tell her. Now she knew.

"What I need to do is either stay close to both of them, which is almost impossible, or I could stay away from them both." Ann commented as they exited the restaurant. "Well that wouldn't accomplish anything, not if you stay away from them. Besides, Jak could find you. You know he could." Ashley commented. They both got in Ann's car and she started the engine. She had really really missed her car and was glad to drive it again. "Right now at least, I think I should try to stay away from Bruce though. I don't know what his game is. He could just be waiting for me to lead him strait to Jak. His whole decision to keep my secret may just be because he wants to get Jak. And I can understand why, but I can't take that chance." Ann said from the driver's seat as she backed out of the parking spot and pulled out onto the road. "Well how are you supposed to find out what his game is if you stay away from him?" Ashley asked. "Damn it all to hell!" Ann yelled as she slammed her fist into the steering wheel. "I can't do shit. It's all a big fucking circle that just keeps spinning around and biting me in the ass."

"It seems to me that you need to get closer to him to find out. And if Jak complains then all you have to do is say that your trying to get information." Ashley told her. Ann frowned. "The only problem with that is then he would know for sure. It'd be like giving Bruce's secret away anyways. Then the whole damn thing would be for nothing." Ann said. "You should still get closer to him." Ashley replied. "At least if your close to him then you know that he cant find Jak."

"I don't like it. The whole thing is dangerous territory. I don't know." Ann told her.

"Well I have news." Ashley said happily. Ann almost groaned. "Devon has agreed to move in with me! Isn't that awesome?" She screeched. "Yeah, awesome. You living in my apartment with your boyfriend where I would prefer to be." Ann said half heartedly. "Okay, ignore the fact that it used to be your apartment. Isn't it great? I'm so happy." She said with a huge smile on her face. Ann smiled. "Yeah Ash. It's awesome."

Ann dropped Ashley off at her place then headed back to Nightshade to finally go test the long list of new products. She was really hoping that Bruce wasn't still there. Right now she needed to think, and she couldn't do that with him around.

She was happy when Misa told her that Bruce had gone out for lunch. Ann was surprised to even find her there but Misa explained that she had brought her lunch to work with her. After a bit of relaxation watching tv from her office couch she headed down to the lab to start cleaning out the pile up of products waiting for her to test.

That was where she stayed the rest of the day. Misa had been right. There were a lot of products that were waiting on her approval. She liked testing the guns the best. When it was time for everyone to go home she stayed behind. She didn't want to leave yet. And she needed something to take out her aggression on. So she pulled out the pistol that was strapped to her back and shot at the paper target that was across the inside firing range. Every time she reloaded she would change the target and move it back a little farther. She was testing herself, seeing how long it would take for her to start screwing up. She was glad that the lab had plenty of ammo for her to use. She was there for hours by herself just shooting her gun. Her phone rang several times but she let it go unanswered. She wanted to be left alone.

After awhile she began to get tired. She reloaded her gun for the hundredth time and then went to the cabinet where all the ammo was and brought out a new box. When she turned around she nearly had a heart attack. Bruce was leaning against the wall by the door watching her.

"Fuck! What the hell? How long have you been there?" She asked in an aggravated tone. "Awhile." He told her casually. "Screw you and your wicked bat skills." She said. She was being a little humorous, but it still pissed her off that he could sneak up on her like that. He smirked at her. "Careful. I might put my wicked bat skills to use." He commented. She laughed a little. "Isn't that what you just did?" She asked sarcastically. "Not hardly." He told her. For the first time that day she took the time to really look at him. He was wearing dark black pants with a white long sleeved shirt that hung loose around his chest and forearms. The shirt looked like it was modeled after some French style and his hair that he normally kept slicked back was down and loosely framing his face. He looked unusually hansom.

A knock on the door startled her and she realized he had just caught her ogling him. "What?" She yelled angrily at whoever was disturbing her. Misa opened the door and poked her head in. "I thought you'd be here. Hi Bruce." She said cheerfully. He looked less than happy to be interrupted but he nodded at her anyway. "I was beginning to get worried about you when you didn't answer your phone." She explained. Ann rolled her eyes. "Come on. You worry too much. Your goinna give yourself an ulcer." Ann said dryly then pulled up her gun and went back to shooting at the target. Misa looked annoyed by this as she jumped at every shot.

"You have a very good aim." Bruce commented from behind her. She could picture him starring at her ass while she shot. "Yeah thanks." She said as an afterthought. "It's quite impressive. The targets almost fifty yards back." He said sincerely. "Really? I hadn't even noticed." Ann told him. Sarcasm aside she really hadn't. She had been focusing on her aim so much that she hadn't even realized how far the target was. "Wow. That's really good." Misa said. Ann finished off her clip and reloaded it again. Misa yawned. "Well now that I know your okay I'm goinna go home and get some rest. I'm sure you'll be fine if your with Bruce." Misa told her. Ann had a hard time containing her laughter.

If she only knew.

"Oh that reminds me. I was wondering if you had someplace safe to stay." Bruce asked. The question surprised her. "At my apartment of course." She told him. Misa scoffed. "That's hardly a safe place." She told Ann. She was implying that Joker may want to come find her again. Ann rolled her eyes. She was so sick of people hoarding over her life. She reminded herself that it was only because they cared. It was still annoying. "My apartment is fine." Ann told her in a strong voice. "I think I have to agree with Misa. That is where he came last time after all." Bruce commented. "You should get a motel room or stay with Ashley or something. At least for awhile." Misa told her with a concerned look. "No I can't stay with Ash. Her boyfriend just moved in with her. I don't need to anyway." Ann told her. "There's no need for a motel." Bruce told her. "You can stay in one of my guest rooms. Temporarily, of course." Ann's eyes widened.

No no no no no

"That's a wonderful idea!" Misa said happily. Ann glared at her and tried to mentally tell her to shut the hell up. "No it's not. My apartment is fine. I wouldn't want to intrude." Ann said in a slightly panicked voice. Misa was trying to play match maker and it was totally screwing everything up.

This can't be happening.

"Please. It's no intrusion. I'd feel better knowing your safe." Bruce told her. "See?" Misa said trying to convince her. "Pweety pwease." Misa said with her big puppy dog eyes. Ann sighed and tilted her head back to glare at the ceiling. "Fine." Misa squealed and jumped in place. Bruce smirked at her enthusiasm. "Misa. I need to talk to you." Ann said and pulled her to the corner of the room away from Bruce. "You do realize that he's probably camping outside the front door right now waiting for me. What the hell is he going to think when he sees me get into a fucking car with him?" She whispered frantically. "You could come to my house first to get some clothes. When we make sure no one's following you then you go to Bruce's." Misa told her calmly. "Are you fucking kidding me? From now on don't do me any favors and stop playing match maker. You have no idea what you just got me into." Ann whispered frantically. Misa almost laughed. "Oh please. Your not fooling anyone. I know you like him." Misa said then walked off. "Ann is paranoid and thinks that the Joker is watching her and waiting for her to leave the building. So she's going to drive to my house, borrow some clothes, then head over to see you." Misa explained with a grin. Ann was gaping at her from across the room. Images of grabbing her katana and going on a murderous killing spree in the streets flashed through her mind.

I. Hate. Everything.

**This is so priceless.**

I need a drink.


	34. Chapter 34

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She was at Misa's house sipping on some coffee while Misa packed a suitcase for her. "Misa I told you I don't need all those clothes." Ann said from the living room couch. Misa poked her head around the corner. "But what if you need a pretty dress or something… something like-" She disappeared back around the corner again. Ann sighed and sipped at her coffee again.

So far it looked like Joker may be too busy to be following her. Surely if he had followed her to Misa's house he would have made an appearance by now. She had been there for over an hour. Bruce was at his mansion waiting for her. So Joker wouldn't be overly paranoid about that. Ann was nearly convinced that he wasn't following her. Although it didn't seem like him to just let her do her own thing, especially when he had just finished kidnapping her. It had never been like him to do that to begin with. But maybe he was out doing something that kept him to busy to bother with following her around. He may have sent someone else. The whole situation was making her crazy. She was sure she was over thinking everything.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this nonsense." Ann called from the couch. "It would do you some good to be around a normal guy." Misa yelled back. "You have no idea how ridiculous that sounds." Ann commented. "Okay. I'm finished." Misa said carrying in a suitcase full of clothes that Ann was sure she would probably never look at. Ann had pulled her car into Misa's garage and closed the door to prevent Joker from seeing her load the suitcase if he happened to be watching. Ann remembered him camping out in the deserted building across the street from her when they had first met. She was positive that he had stayed at least a day and night in that window watching her. Ann took the suitcase to her car then said good bye to Misa. She then pulled out of the garage and headed for Bruce's mansion.

The mansion was on the other side of town so it took a good twenty minutes to get there. Ann drove carefully watching for any cars, or vans, that could be following her. But there was no one. By the time Ann finally arrived at the mansion she was sure no one had followed her. Bruce had left a garage door open and she pulled her car inside then shut the door. She left her guns in the back seat but she left her dagger on her belt. Dragging the obnoxious suitcase she made her way for the door. As she was about to knock the door opened and Bruce smiled at her from the other side. "Hey. Sorry it took so long. She packed me for a month's vacation." Ann said when she saw him. She was about to drag the suitcase inside but he stepped out and picked it up for her. He smiled at her. "I'll show you your room." He told her as he walked inside.

So now he's going to play the chivalry card. Great.

**He's being nice. Give him a break.**

Oh God. You too? Everyone's conspiring against me. I'm sure now .

**Cry baby.**

"Your butler quit on you?" She asked coyly. He smirked. "Naw. It's his day off. First day in years he's actually stopped working." Bruce told her. "What a nice coincidence." Ann said sarcastically. He laughed. "It is isn't it?" He said rather slyly.

Sonofabitch. I've been set up.

Bruce led her up the stairs and down a gorgeous hallway that had red carpet and a red wall paper with golden flowers dotted over it and the trim was white. Ann liked the design. He took her past several doors before stopping at one on the left hand side. "Here it is." He said more to himself as he opened the door and took her suitcase inside for her. She followed him in to find a rather large room with its own bathroom. The room was decorated in a mix of grey and beige pastels that actually went rather well together. The bed was rather large and covered in beautiful looking grey Egyptian cotton sheets.

Ann eyed the bed for a moment but temptation won. She took a running leap and jumped onto the bed like a little kid. She laughed and rolled over to stretch out lazily. Bruce smirked. "I take it you like the bed?" He asked. "It's amazing. What kind of mattress is this?" She asked happily. "It's a Sealy." He told her. "Mmm. It's nice." She said as she propped her arms behind her head. He smiled and sat on the edge of the bed. "You like the room? I picked one that I thought fit your personality." He told her as he glanced towards her. "It's nice. I've never been a fan of beige, but it really pulls the room together." She told him. "So…. That means you like it." He said hesitantly. She laughed. "I like it."

An awkward silence wormed its way into the room. She suddenly felt silly for acting so childish. "So…. What happens now?" She asked. It was one thing getting there. Now that she was actually there though she didn't know what to do. "Whatever you want. My place is your place. Have you eaten anything?" He asked. "Not since lunch." She told him. He smiled and stood up. "Well come on down to the kitchen. I'll cook you something." He told her. "Okay." She followed him downstairs and through the house to the other side where the kitchen was. "So what sounds good?" He asked as he rummaged through the cabinets looking for a pan. "I can cook steak, macaroni, spaghetti, catfish, ramen, fried chicken-" "Just anything would be fine. Although, steak is my favorite." She told him. "Steak it is." He replied as he fetched a pair of wine glasses and poured them both some red wine.

In no time he had the steak cooking along with some corn. Ann began to get tired of standing so she hopped up on the counter by the stove to watch him cook. He smirked but otherwise said nothing about it. Cooking steak isn't really all that difficult. All you really have to do is season it then let it cook and make sure it doesn't burn. So when he wasn't busy he leaned against the counter next to her. There wasn't a whole lot of conversation.

There was still some of that awkwardness in the air. Nearly every time she looked at him she pictured him wearing his mask. It was just too strange. She was sitting on a counter in Batman's house watching him cook for her. But she remembered Bruce himself too. He was distant and hard to get to know at first. It was like he put up a wall to keep people out. But he was smart and funny and he had this sort of witty charm. She had gotten to know him. Maybe not as well as she had originally thought though. He was still hiding part of himself.

Ann reminded herself that she needed to figure out his angle and that she wasn't just on vacation here. But it was a little hard to keep that in mind when he was cooking her food and humming some strange song. He was acting like he was completely ignoring her, but every so often she caught him glancing her way. She tried to ignore it but every time it happened she felt a little giddy. "So, um, what made you…." "Want to be Batman? I dunno. It seemed like the right thing to do. After my parents died I kinda lost my way for awhile. I knew I wanted to fight crime. But being a cop just didn't seem to fit. So I went looking for it in all the wrong places. And eventually I grew up a little. Bought back my company from the shareholders that wanted to kick me out of it. Then everything just fell into place." He told her.

"Why a bat?" she asked him suddenly while tapping on her wine glass. He laughed a little. "That's what I was afraid of. It's kind of my way of conquering my fear." He suddenly handed her a plate filled with steak and corn. Her eyes widened slightly. A plate full of food suddenly in her face in the middle of a conversation was a bit of a shock.

"Um, thanks." She said as she took the plate of food. He handed her a fork and a steak knife. She just stared at the food for a moment. She sat the plate in her mouth and gingerly cut off a piece of the meat and took a bite. Her whole face lit up. It was absolutely exquisite. "Wow! This is awesome! How'd you learn to cook so good?" She asked as she took another bite. "Oh I just picked it up here and there." He told her. He leaned against the counter across from her and watched her as she ate. About half way through her food she noticed this. "Hey. Aren't you goinna fix yourself any?" She asked suddenly. He looked a bit surprised. "No. I ate earlier."

She felt kind of greedy after that and ate a bit slowly. Finally when she was done she downed the rest of her wine then took the plate to the sink next to where Bruce had been leaning where she rinsed it off. He just watched her. She was starting to feel a similarity to the way Joker liked to watch her sometimes. Like he was trying to figure her out. She tried to just shake it off.

"So what now?" She asked as she dried her hands off on her pants. "What do 'you' want to do?" He asked. She thought about it for a minute while he refilled her wine and his. "You know, I haven't really had the time to watch any new movies in a long time." She confessed. "I used to love watching movies. I had a pretty good collection when I was younger." She told him. "Hmm. Well I haven't really had enough time for movies lately either. Alfred likes to watch them when he has time though. So I got Netflix for him. I never use the thing, but maybe we could find something cool to watch." He told her. "That sounds great!" She was excited. She hadn't seen a good movie in forever.

She followed him back through another part of the mansion to a rather large living room. There was a large white leather couch that wrapped in a semi circle in the center of the room and against the wall facing it was a large entertainment center with a big tv. It looked like it was at least a 52 inch screen. The room had red carpet and walls. The ceiling was white as well as the door and the thick trim and border. Ann liked this room. Red was her favorite color besides black. The white with the red really looked good though. It reminded her of a movie theatre in her home town that she used to go to with Misa.

Bruce sat on the couch and flicked on the tv. He relaxed a bit and draped his arm over the back of the couch and stretched out his long legs. Ann stood at the corner of the couch feeling awkward. "Well, c'mon. I told you my house is yours. Go ahead and sit. I won't bite." She walked around being careful to avoid his feet. The last thing she wanted to do was make a fool of herself by tripping. She sat down next to him still feeling awkward. He brought up the Netflix and started flipping through the movies. "Just stop me when one catches your eye." He told her.

* * *

 

~10 minutes later~

"Splice?" "Sounds too sci-fi-ish."

"How about Epic Movie?" "Is that one of those spoofs?" "I think so." "Nu uh. I hate those things." He laughed.

"Centurion?" "Maybe….."

"Alice in Wonderland?" "Like the cartoon?" "I guess, but it's not a cartoon anymore." "Really? With real people? That one!" He laughed again.

"Okay. Alice in Wonderland it is." He said as he clicked a button on the remote. The movie started and Ann relaxed into the couch eager to watch. The first time someone spoke she jumped a foot to the left. "What the hell was that?" It had sounded like the voice was right next to her. Bruce laughed. It was a really open laugh. It looked like he was going to bust a gut. "It's surround sound. It's supposed to make it feel more realistic." He told her. "Oh! So that's what that is. Now wonder everyone wants it." She said astounded. She glanced to her left to see what he was doing. She suddenly realized that she had jumped nearly in his lap. He was looking back at her. At her eyes. And they were really close.

She coughed discreetly and pretended not to notice. She turned back to watch the movie but she didn't scoot back over. She rationalized that it was because it would have been like admitting defeat. But that wasn't all of it. From that point forward she was really tense. Slowly she began to relax again throughout the movie. Every so often she would make a comment and he would laugh about it. She noticed after awhile that he was hardly watching the movie. He watched her through most of it.

When it got to the part where Alice said goodbye to Tarrant, the hatter, Ann was on the edge of her seat. "C'mon. C'mon. Kiss her." She mumbled. Bruce looked amused. When she disappeared without a kiss she balked. "Wha? What the hell? Why didn't they friggin kiss? That's such bull crap!" She yelled at the tv. Bruce laughed slightly looking more amused than ever.

She crossed her arms and mumbled under her breath. "-cant believe they didn't kiss. Woulda made the movie perfect." "Well you gotta think, he's like in his forty's and she's only a teenager. It would have been inappropriate to make them kiss." He said with a smile. "Well they weren't in the movie! The movie is what matters. People kiss in movies all the time even though their not together in real life. And besides, he was hot as hell in that pirate movie. Who wouldn't want to kiss him?" He laughed again. "Would you?" He asked. "Huh?" She asked surprised. "If you were an actress in a movie, would you want to kiss some guy you didn't even know that well?" He clarified. She frowned. "I guess not." She admitted. He smiled. "Well there you go."

His way of thinking was so strait forward. No bull crap, just clean and irrefutable. It was the most annoying thing in the world.

He should have been a lawyer or something.

But at the same time it was really nice to be around someone who she could have an intelligent conversation with. With Joker it was all about games and getting inside her head. But Bruce was just talking. It was refreshing.

She looked back at him again. At this point she wasn't even watching the movie anymore. She sort of lost interest when they didn't kiss. Bruce was still watching her. But she noticed now that it was in a kind of fond way. Like he couldn't look at her enough and wanted to remember her as much as he could. This time she stared back at him instead of looking away. She was tired of ignoring his stares. Normally she hated it when people stared at her, but it wasn't so bad when he did it. Most people stared because she was different. He didn't. Not in the same way as everyone else anyway.

He leaned in closer and her heart jumped in her chest. His free hand gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear as he leaned in even closer to her. She didn't think twice about it and leaned towards him like he had her. She had kissed Bruce before. Several times in fact. But none of his kisses had been like this. Before it had been plenty passionate. But this was something more. It wasn't just passion. He kissed her with a longing. Like he had been waiting for it for years. His other arm that had been on the back of the couch wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her closer into him.

She knew she should have pulled back. Thought about what she was doing. Hell she would have done herself proud if she could have only broke away to breath for a moment. But she didn't. It was like her brain completely shut out all rationality. She leaned in farther and let herself feel his lips against hers. Soft and gentile, but strong and demanding at the same time.

He pulled her even closer and she could feel her breasts press up against his chest. It was exhilarating. It was nothing like Jak's kiss. No games of submission or power struggles. Just feeling. She gasped.

Jak

She suddenly pushed herself away and in her shock she fell off the couch and landed on her butt in the floor. Wincing she rubbed the sore spot. "Are you okay?" He asked in a concerned voice as he jumped off the couch and tried to help her up. "No!" She said backing away. "I mean… I'm fine. It's late. I think I'll just go to bed." She told him as she stood up on her own. "Umm. Sorry." She apologized and ran out.

He watched her go then with a sigh dropped back onto the couch. He leaned forward and held his head in his hands. "That bastard." He mumbled.

She was watching him from the door way. After he didn't move for awhile she went to the room he had shown her to and changed into silk pajama bottoms and a skimpy silk shirt then laid down in the bed. She had just totally thrown her brain through a loop. It felt like her heart was breaking.

What the hell is WRONG with me?

**Your asking me?**

She couldn't sleep for a long time. She couldn't seem to get comfortable, even though she should have felt like she was in heaven lying on the bed. Her thoughts wouldn't stop racing. After a few hours of tossing and turning she finally drifted off to sleep.

There was a loud thumping sound as someone knocked on the door then it swung open. Ann groaned and rolled over away from the intrusion. "Hope your decent." Bruce called as he walked in the room carrying a tray. Ann covered her head with a pillow. "Ugh. What time is it?" She asked with a groan. "It's 9:30 in the morning." He told her as he sat the tray on the night stand next to the bed. Ann sat up in bed. "9:30? Why did you wake me up so early?" She asked still half asleep. "Breakfast." He said happily as he picked up the tray and sat it in her lap. "Breakfast? Umm thanks." She said as she looked at the tray in bewilderment. No one had ever made her breakfast in bed before. It seemed that Bruce had been doing a lot of things for her that no one had ever done. Breakfast consisted of French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and chocolate milk. As she began to eat she remembered the incident the night before and glanced at him as he opened the curtains on the other side of the room and then sat on the edge of the bed. He was acting like it had never happened. It looked like that's what she would do to then.

I cant' believe this. He black mails me-

**-your blackmailing each other-**

-shows up constantly out of nowhere-

**-to see you-**

-traps me into staying over here-

**-for your own protection-**

-that he knows I don't need just so he can try to get close to me.

**Oh stop. You like it.**

That's beside the point! I can't get involved with him!

**Well why not?**

Your just trying to screw with me! You think it's funny! Just leave me to my damn thoughts.

The whole conversation with Akira happened while she was eating. Bruce simply sat on the bed and watched her quietly, so ignoring him was quite easy. When she was finished she downed the last of her milk and was about to get up with her tray when he took it form her. "I don't need to be waited on hand and foot you know." She commented. "I'm used to taking care of myself." He smirked. "You're my guest. It'd be rude to not take care of you." He told her in response as he walked towards the door. "Well I just wanted to make a point in telling you that I don't need it!" She called after him as he closed the door. She heard him laughing as his footsteps echoed down the hall outside the door.

She glared at the door for a moment before she finally got out of bed and stretched. Going to the overly large suitcase she began rifling through the clothes Misa had lent to her. She found all sorts of clothes from fancy cocktail dresses to a bathing suit. She settled on a pair of jeans and a t shirt. T shirts weren't usually her style. The sleeves were always in her way. She liked her tank tops. She contemplated tearing off the sleeves, but they were Misa's clothes after all. She brushed her hair and teeth with a spare tooth brush and hair brush that Misa had lent her. The tooth brush was still in the package and everything. Misa never failed to surprise her. She was always prepared. Concerning everything except Ann's reckless nature of course.

Ann finally packed up everything back into the suitcase and zipped it up then opened the door to go downstairs. Upon opening the door she nearly jumped out of her skin. Bruce was leaning against the wall of the hallway several feet away from the door waiting for her. "Gawd, you really don't wanna give me room to breath, huh?" It was more of a comment than a question. A really sarcastic comment. "It's nothing like that. I actually just had a question for you." He told her.

There it is. I knew he'd get to it eventually.

"Will you answer it?" He asked. She sighed. "It depends on the question. I can say though, if I do answer I'll be honest." She told him. He smirked slightly but his face was serious. She wasn't about to give him any room either. "Okay. When you were eating breakfast earlier, what were you thinking about?" He asked. The question shocked her and her mind flashed through the conversation with Akira. "Wha- Why would you ask a question like that?" She asked in a surprised voice. It was silent a moment.

"It was your eyes."

My eyes?

"Why? What about my eyes?" She asked in a concerned voice. That familiar feeling of panic was worming its way into her stomach again. "They were distant. Almost like you weren't even in the room anymore. And they flashed back and forth. Like you were listening to a conversation." He told her. Her eyes went wide.

Jesus! He's so smart! I can't believe he noticed that. I didn't even know my eyes did that!

**Remarkable. Maybe there's more to him than just a pretty boy who plays dress up.**

Just now figure that out? Jak figured it out. But that was only because we switched in front of him. Bruce had no clues or evidence at all.

**You can't tell him! No matter what!**

It's not something I'd usually want to. But why are you so insistent?

**If anyone finds out they could commit us to a psych ward. Maybe even Arkham. They would label you with some stupid psychosis and possibly locked away for the rest of your life.**

Jak would bust me out. And besides, I doubt he would do that. If he'd keep me out of jail I'm sure he wouldn't have me committed. I really don't want to give him that leverage, I'm just pointing this out here.

**Are you really willing to rely on The Joker for the rest of your life? On the run from the cops and having to depend on him to help you if you ever get caught? You need to think this through.**

Your right. I need more time to think on this. Maybe if he earns more of my trust.

**Wait a minute. If he noticed it earlier, doesn't that mean it could be happening now? And he could see it?**

Her eyes snapped wide again. Bruce was leaning forward watching her closely. Looking at her eyes. When he noticed they were normal he leaned back a bit. "I've made a decision." She told him. He tilted his head ever so slightly. "Really?" He asked skeptically. "I can't tell you now. But in the future, I might. If I feel like it." She told him. Her eyes were hard. Almost cruel. Her answer surprised him a little. She turned and walked down the hallway and he followed.

"I'm not going to work today. I'm taking the day off. Just thought I'd let you know." She told him as she looked over her shoulder. Her tone was significantly lighter. "What do you plan on doing?" He asked her. "I dunno. If I decide to come back tonight, that's 'if', I'll probably go home and get some of my own clothes. I'm sick of wearing Misa's. Maybe, I'll hang out with her and Ashley some. It's been too long since I did that." She told him. "So you might come back tonight?" He asked. She shrugged. "If I feel like it. It just depends on how things work out." She replied. "And if you don't, where will you stay tonight?" He asked.

Is it just me, or does it actually sound like he cares?"

"Don't worry about it. Your right about needing to stay somewhere safe for awhile. It may not be necessary for my safety. But it 'is' necessary to keep up appearances." She told him. "I guess it's kinda like you. Pretending to be a spoilt rich boy when really that's the last thing on your mind." He stopped walking. She noticed and looked back at him. "What's wrong? Did I upset you?" She asked.

"No. It's just that no one's ever saw through that before." He told her. She frowned. "Huh? I saw through that a long time ago." She told him. "Huh. Whadda ya know." He mumbled to himself.

"Well, I'm goinna head out now. Maybe I'll see ya later." She said over her shoulder as she waived and walked out the door. He sighed a bit happily and smiled at her retreating form as he followed her to the door and watched her leave.

Five minutes later Ann was in her car driving away from Wayne manner. And she had never been more relieved. She was beginning to feel like a child. Everyone always telling her what to do and how to do it. And then there was the way that he made her feel. At times he made her so angry but then other times she felt soft. It was making her insane. She had survived all her life by being cold and distant and by never trusting anyone. Only one man had ever gotten to her. Misa and Ashley were her only friends. And she valued them above all else. And yet here she was playing with fire with the one man that could bring everything crashing down around her. At least she had one piece of leverage that may keep her and her friends safe. But one question still remained….

Should I trust him?

Twenty minutes later Ann pulled into Misa's driveway and got out of her car with a sigh. She was in desperate need for some relaxation without all the stress and bull shit hanging over her shoulders.

As Ann walked up the door to Misa's house opened and Ashley stepped out. "Oh! Ann? I, uh, I thought you were with Bruce?" Ann frowned. Something was wrong. "I was. But I came to see Misa. Thought a girl's day would be great for all three of us." Ann said hesitantly as she walked towards the door. "Umm, I wouldn't go in there. Misa is…. well…." "Misa is what? Is she okay?" Ann asked. "She's fine but-" "I've had enough of this." Ann said then turned and opened the door.

Her eyes shot open. "What the hell!" Ashley hung her head on the other side of the door. "What the hell are YOU doing here!" Ann screamed. Sal Maroni stood up from the couch. "Sorry Misa. I'll just see you later, okay?" He told her with a kiss on the cheek. Misa smiled. "Okay." She told him happily. Ann felt her eyebrow twitch. Maroni walked towards her. "Nice to see you again, Miss Giovanni." He told her politely. "Don't gimme that crap! Sleazy son of a bitch!"

There goes the stress free environment.

"No Ann. It's okay. Me and Sal, well, we've been dating for awhile. He's really not that bad." Misa told her as she stood. "How long? How long have you been polluting her to get to me?" Ann yelled at him. He looked sad. "It has nothing to do with you. Honest, I really care about her." He said sincerely. "Your so full of shit!" She yelled back. "No! I really think he's telling the truth. He's completely stopped his pursuit of both you and Joker." Ashley suddenly said from behind her. Ann had almost forgotten she was there. "You knew about this? What the hell? Did everyone know but me?" "I'm sorry. I made her promise not to tell." Misa explained. "I knew you would be pissed. But see, when he kidnapped me we had a lot of time to talk. And we really connected. After you, um, saved me we kept in contact."

"You have got to be KIDDING me?" She grabbed Maroni by the collar and slammed him against the wall. "I swear to God Maroni! I swear if you fucking hurt her. I will KILL you in the most gruesome and horrible way possible. Do you understand me?" She was furious. "That isn't going to happen." He told her in a level voice. She glared at him a moment longer. "Fine!" She dropped him and he straitened his collar. "You remember what I said." She told him before storming out. She slammed her car door and drove off.

A whole minute later she slammed her fist into the steering wheel. "That bastard. Doesn't she know what she's getting into?" She sighed trying to calm herself and drove to her apartment.

* * *

 

~Ten minutes later~

Ann opened the door to her apartment to find Joker laying lengthwise on the couch with a book covering his face. "And where have you been?" He asked without removing the book. "In a whole mess of bullshit. That's where." She said angrily as she went to the fridge and grabbed her bottle of Jack Daniels. She was about to open it when he got up and spoke again. "Where were you last night?"

"I fell asleep at the office and-" "I checked the office. You weren't there." He said harshly. "What the fuck? Your goinna give me shit too? If you'd let me fucking finish." She said in an agitated voice. "Well you had to go somewhere last night. Where was it?" He asked angrily. "I said let me finish you ass hole! Misa got worried when I didn't answer my phone! So she came and found me, then insisted that I should stay someplace 'safe' for awhile. And she's right because even if there's no need for it, it wouldn't look right to the cops if I just started staying here again immediately. You 'did' kidnap me here after all. And to top it all off I just found out that Misa has been dating Maroni and no one even bothered to tell me about it. I'm already pretty pissed, so tell me. Are you really going to piss me off even more?" She yelled. "Why didn't you call then?" He asked skeptically. She threw her hands up in exasperation. "What. Do I report to you now? Have to call and check in to make sure what ever I'm doing is OKAY with you?" She asked. She was beyond pissed, but she was trying to hold it together.

"It would be nice if you told me what was going on ONCE IN AWHILE!" He yelled back. "No. You know what? You never fill me in on what your fucking doing. Your being a fucking hypocrite. Screw this!" She yelled then spun around and headed for the door. He grabbed her by the wrist and whirled her around. "What the hell is your problem?" He yelled at her. She yanked her hand free. "My problem? My problem is that for some odd reason everyone seems to want to piss me off today! You are always getting me deeper into shit! You never tell me what your plans are or what your goal is. I'm in the middle of a total shit storm between you the cops and Batman. One friggin mistake and it all comes crashing down. And you are giving ME shit? Because I didn't call you? Kiss my ass!" She yelled.

"Let's just drop it." He said calmly then took the whiskey bottle from her and walked back to the couch. "Hey! That's MY whiskey!" She followed him to the couch. He had just gotten the bottle open and taken a drink when she grabbed it from him. "So where will you stay?" He asked. She sat next to him. "I don't know. With Misa maybe. But I don't think so." "You said she's been dating Maroni?" He asked. "Yeah." She said and took a drink.

"That's not good." He told her. "Well, that's obvious. It's the last thing I need on top of everything else." She replied. "What will you do?" He asked. She stretched. "Nothing I can do."

"I can do plenty." He said with a malicious grin. That struck a nerve in her. She shook her head. "No. I could never do something to hurt her." She told him sharply. "Maroni is a mob boss. People in his line of work get killed all the time." He reasoned. Ann scowled. He was making that guilty feeling in her stomach squirm. "I refuse." She said quietly. "She would never have to know." He told her. She snapped. "I would know." She said coldly.

His face was slightly shocked for a moment and she realized that he had been trying to be kind, in his own twisted way. "Alright. Your choice. I won't kill him unless I have no other option. Does that make you happy?" She was silent a moment. "Sure. And thanks." She said quietly. "I'm gonna have him tailed, just to be safe though." He commented. She glanced at him surprised. "You would do that? Just to make sure Misa doesn't get hurt?" She asked. He smiled. "Not just for that. Maroni knows your little secret. I can't exactly let my girlfriend go and get herself thrown in jail, now can I?" She was shocked.

Having me followed is one thing, but he's going through the trouble of having my friend's boyfriend followed? I can't believe he would go that far.

He smiled at her.

Maybe he really does care.

"Thank you." She told him. He put his arm over her shoulder and pulled her against him. "Any time, doll face." She smirked.

She leaned in closer to him and they kissed. It was passionate. They broke the kiss and she leaned her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that for a long time.

Ann was close to drifting off into a nap when there was a knock on the door. Ann sighed and stood up. "You better disappear." She told him before she headed towards the door. She glanced over her shoulder to see that he was nowhere in sight, then opened the door. Ashley stood on the other side looking at the ground. "Hey." She said quietly. "Hey." Ann said back. "Are you, um, you still want to have that girl's day?" She asked. "Sure, I guess." Ann replied as she opened the door and let Ashley in. "I figured I might find you here. It's pretty much the only place to go, huh?" Ashley said with a slight bit of remorse. "Yeah." Ann said quietly.

Please don't say anything about Bruce.

"Hey, you can come out now." Ann called as she shut the door. Then she jumped when she saw he was standing right next to her. He had been behind the open door. When Ashley saw him she actually screamed for a moment but Ann quickly covered her mouth.

"Hey blondie. Long time no see." He commented while walking back to the couch. "I guess I'm goinna hang out with Ash for awhile." She told him. "What ever. I'll be around. Always am." He mumbled. It looked like he was a bit put out by her leaving, and by her staying somewhere else. "Ya know this probably isn't the best place for you to crash." She told him as she went to her bedroom to get some of her own clothes. "I'm safe anywhere. No one's going to catch me. Besides, I won't be here later." She frowned and looked around the corner at him. "Your planning something! Aren't you?" She accused. "I wouldn't call it 'planning'. It's more like a welcome home party for yours truly." He told her. "Jesus, Jak. Your goinna kill me." She sighed and went back to collecting clothes and tossing them on the bed. She could hear him laughing from the other room and she realized how big of a joke that must have been to him. She smiled as she put her clothes into a backpack.

Life would definitely be a lot more boring with out him.

She picked out several of her tank tops and a few pairs of pants. She also took the time to change out of the clothes she had borrowed from Misa. She put on a bright green tank top and some dark pants. She had been getting into more of a variety in the colors department. She still preferred dark colors, but she liked the green. She threw on her leather blazer and then laced up her boots and slipped on her belt along with her dagger. Her guns were still in her car. She threw the backpack over her shoulder. "Okay, ready to go." She told Ashley, who had been patiently waiting by the door. Ann walked over to Joker and bent down to give him a kiss. As she did so she swiped the whiskey bottle from him. He tried to snatch it back but she backed away. "And 'this' is my whiskey." She told him as she screwed on the lid then stuffed it into the bag. She then gave him a second kiss and said goodbye then they headed out the door.

Once in the elevator Ashley cheered up a bit and got strait to it. "So, how was your night at Wayne manner?" She asked sheepishly with a grin. Ann rolled her eyes. "It was fine. Nice comfy bed with Egyptian cotton sheets." She told her. Ashley's grin got wider. "That's not what I meant. I meant, how was the company?" Ann sighed. "The company was fine. He cooked me dinner then we watched a movie." Ann told her. "Oooh. A movie. What movie did you watch?" Ashley asked. "Alice in Wonderland." Ann told her. "Okay. Spill. Something happened last night that either totally freaked you out or made you want to cut everyone off. Maybe something Jak wouldn't like to hear?" Ashley said. "Well your awfully nosy today." Ann commented. "Enough. Come on. What happened?" Ashley asked.

Nearly an hour later they were in a restaurant across town and Ann had just finished telling Ashley the whole story. "Okay, so are you going to go back tonight?" Ashley asked. "I dunno. I don't have a lot of other choices. Cant stay at Misa's, can't stay at my place, and 'won't' stay with you and Devon in MY apartment. I'm all out of options unless I decide to sleep in my friggin car." She said as she pushed what was left of her food around with her fork. "Well, I'd suggest your office. But I don't think that's a smart move either." Ashley told her. Ann perked up. "What? Why not?" She asked. "The paparazzi are all over the place since they heard you were back. Trying to get an interview. Don't you watch the news? There's a whole crowd outside the building just waiting for you to show up." Ann groaned. "Your kidding. Good thing I didn't go to work today, or I 'would' be sleeping there." Ashley laughed a bit. "You just gotta wait for the press to die down. After that you'll be home free." She commented. Ann growled under her breath. "Right. That's the exact same thing you and Misa said like eight months ago." Ann mumbled. "Yeah, but this time it's not anything huge like a new billionaire. Just a billionaire got kidnapped." Ashley commented. "Oh yeah. That's SO much better."

After they finished eating Ashley dragged her to the mall. It was much more enjoyable than going with Misa though. Ashley wasn't as obsessed with clothes. They went to a variety of stores that Ann liked also. Ann picked out a leather bracelet that had silver spikes around it that matched her belt and she also bought a belt buckle that had a flying red dragon on it. While browsing Hot Topic Ann also found a leather trench coat that she bought. The coat had three big silver buckles in the front that held it closed. It tapered to fit her form perfectly and showed off her curves. The front showed off her cleavage and spread open under the buckles to show off her belt buckle and the back of the coat was split up to her butt and it went to just below her knees. She loved it. Ashley bought a belt that was exactly like hers only the spikes were different colors. It looked like a rainbow. She also bought a pink frilly mini skirt and a pink shirt that had slits in the fabric and the sleeves were cut. Ann liked the shirt so much that she bought a black one just like it. Ann also found a pair of black pants that had white stitches up the sides and on the pockets. They hugged her waist and belled slightly around her lower legs. They were perfect for her boots.

At a book store Ann found several books that she liked. One was a book about Robin Hood and the other was a pirate book. She bought them in case she found some free time. She also figured upon spending a good deal of time alone in Bruce's spare room should she go back.

Ann and Ashley finally decided to head for the food court to grab a bite to eat. The food court was a large open area in the mall that had tables everywhere for people to eat at. A section in the middle of the room was elevated by a few steps with railing around it. It also had tables on it. Around the edges of the room were various restaurants that a person could walk up to and order at. Ann and Ashley shared a huge plate full of teriyaki chicken, rice, and soba noodles from a Japanese restaurant that Ann liked to frequent called Nori Japan. They shared a plate because there was too much food there for either of them to eat alone. Ann ate with chop sticks, as was her custom. Ashley tried the chopsticks for the first five minutes then gave up and picked up a fork.

They sat at the edge of the raised platform near the stairs. Ann wasn't particularly fond of the place that Ashley had picked. She like to be in a place where she could make a quick exit if necessary, and preferably where she could watch everyone. But Ashley had insisted on sitting on the platform. So Ann complied to avoid having to hear the blonde's whining throughout her meal.

Ann finished eating before Ashley did and sat there quietly waiting for her to finish while she sipped on her drink. That was when Ann noticed something unusual. An unusual feeling of being watched. But it was more intense than that the normal feeling Ann got when someone was watching her. She quickly turned her head and scanned the room behind her looking for anyone that was standing still and looking her way. Almost immediately her eyes made contact with a familiar face and she froze in shock. Sitting not three tables behind her was Alexander, Jak's father. And he was starring right at her.

Almost immediately after their eyes met Ann noticed another familiar figure behind him who was waiving at her. She glanced behind Alexander for a moment to see Bruce across the room. Apparently he had thought she was looking at him and was walking her way.

Holy shit. I have to do something and fast.

Ann glanced around frantically. She couldn't let Alexander see her talking to Bruce. She still had absolutely no idea who the man was or what he wanted. And most importantly he was following her for a reason she didn't know, probably because of his son. Also Ann didn't want Bruce to see her with Alexander because of his son who happen to be Bruce's enemy.

Ann considered disappearing into the crowed but if she did that then Ashley would be left behind. Bruce would undoubtedly speak to her and then Alexander would make the connection that Ann knew Bruce. Not to mention that she didn't trust Alexander and that leaving Ashley there would give him the opportunity to approach her when Ann wasn't there.

Thinking quickly Ann jumped from her chair and, dragging Ashley to her feet, headed towards the bathroom. Ashley barely had time to grab her purse and their shopping bags. "Keep quiet and do what I say." Ann whispered to her. Ann pushed open the bathroom door and as soon as it closed behind them she released the blonde and locked the door. "What the hell?" Ashley gaped. "I was still eating."

"Listen. Someone's following us. Two someone's actually. But one could be very dangerous, and he knows Jak. But their not exactly on friendly terms. Bruce is out there too and I can not let either of them know about the other." Ann explained. Ashley took it all in. "Okay, what do we do?"

Ann paced a few steps then turned. "Do you think you can keep up with me on the street? I can duck and weave and get away from both of them, but I can't get both of us away unless you do exactly what I say when I say it and keep quiet. Can you do that?" Ann asked. Ashley nodded.

Ann looked her up and down and realized that there was a problem. The shopping bags. Cursing she explained the problem. Ashley thought for a moment. "Well, why don't we find a way out of here first. Then I'll take the bags to your car while you distract them and lead them away. Then I'll take your car back to your place and you can meet me there. Maybe Jak will still be there and he can figure out what to do." Ann thought it through for a moment. "It sounds good, but I see three problems. The first is making sure they follow me and not you. I'm sure Bruce will, but I have no idea what the other guy wants. He could be looking for a way to blackmail me or Jak. The second is if they do both follow me how do I keep them from running into each other. And the third is, can you drive a standard?"

Ashley balked. "Of course I can drive a standard! That's a dumb question." Ann sighed. "If I have to replace my clutch I'm going to be seriously mad at you." Ann told her.

"What if we call Bruce and explain the situation to him?"Ashley asked suddenly. Ann shook her head. "It'd be best if he didn't know about this. He is 'you know who' after all." Ann commented dryly. "You could say that you want to meet him somewhere. You could even meet him there after you lose the other guy!" Ashley exclaimed. "That'll work." Ann agreed and pulled out her cell phone. From the bathroom she called Bruce and asked him to meet her at the small diner that was near her old apartment. He sounded a bit skeptical but he agreed anyway.

The two women agreed to meet up ten blocks away at a book shop that Ashley liked to visit. From there they would drive to Ashley's apartment. Afterward they would leave any unnecessary items at Ashley's place and then go to meet Bruce. They would try to make the meeting brief and then head to Ann's apartment. Then Ann was sure as hell going to get some answers about his father.

"Okay, there's still the problem of making sure he follows me and doesn't know where you are." Ann said after everything was worked out. Ashley through for a moment. "I could just go out the window." She said and pointed behind Ann. Ann whirled around.

Bloody brilliant. I didn't even notice it was there.

Ann smacked herself in the forehead and sighed. "We could both go out the window." She said in an annoyed tone. Ashley giggled. They stepped up to the window and Ann inspected it. Ann marveled at how a lot of old windows in this town had the same latch system. She was reminded of the time she fled from Batman out of a very similar window. At that moment there was a persistent knock at the door. Cursing mentally Ann boosted Ashley up, as the window was set high into the wall. Ashley started working the latch loose. The knocking turned into banging. Ashley got the latch undone and pushed the window open. Ann lifted her higher and Ashley scrambled through the window. Ann shoved their bags through after her then jumped to grab the ledge of the window. She heaved herself up to the opening and pulled herself halfway through. She was outside in no time with the help of Ashley pulling on her arms. Stepping away from the window they looked around them. They were in what appeared to be an ally in the loading area where semi trucks parked to deliver their merchandise. At the moment they were standing between a semi and the wall of the building.

"Okay, let's get outta here." Ashley said enthusiastically. It was at that moment when Ann heard foot steps coming around the side of the building. She slowly turned and lowered her head with a classic show of using Joker's body language just as the footsteps rounded the corner. Alexander stepped into sight ten yards away at the corner of the building. Ann noted that someone was still banging on the bathroom door and reasoned that he must have informed security. It had given him the opportunity to get outside the building while making sure they didn't leave through the door.

"Well hello miss Ann. Very nice to see you again." He called from the buildings corner. Ashley gasped from behind her. "Ann, he looks a lot like-" "Shh." Ann told her.

"What do you want Alexander?" Ann replied to him. "Just a conversation. I have a few questions." He began as he stepped forward. Ann stepped back. "I'm sure there aren't any questions you have that your son couldn't answer. I don't think he'd be too happy that you followed us here." She commented as she continued moving backwards taking Ashley with her. Alexander continued moving towards them.

"That just won't do. As you may have guessed, the two of us aren't exactly on friendly terms. But he's not the reason I came here. I came to talk to you." He explained in a cautious tone as he walked towards them. Ashley was nervously looking for a way out of the ally as Ann backed them closer to the back of the semi truck. "Sorry. I'm done talking to people who have an agenda with me. If you wanna talk to me then you can talk to him first." She said as she pushed Ashley towards the open loading dock behind the semi trailer. Ashley took the hint and moved towards the open door that would lead into the merchandise holding area of the mall. "Go." Ann said over her shoulder. The blonde nodded and pushed herself up onto the platform.

Ann was determined to hold him off long enough for Ashley to get a small head start. Alexander sighed. "I was hoping to do this the easy way. But if you won't cooperate-" He started towards her at a faster pace with a determined look.

Ann sank comfortably into a fighting stance and quickly went through the different techniques that Jak favored in hand to hand combat. The man halted and his eyebrows rose. "Ahh, not so meek and helpless as I was led to believe." He commented. Then he laughed. "I've been fighting since before you were born. You won't beat me." He said as he advanced again.

"I don't need to beat you." She commented as he stepped within range. Movement behind him caught her eye. Fortunately she was able to watch him and still see who was coming around the corner. It was a security guard, presumably the one who had been pounding on the door. The guard shouted at them.

For a moment Alexander was distracted as he turned slightly to glance at the guard. That was her advantage, and she took it with a sharp kick to his face. Her kick connected and he stumbled backwards. She spun on her heels and took a running leap up onto the platform where Ashley waited. More shouts from the guard echoed behind her as she grabbed the blond and dragged her into the building.

The warehouse area was a maze of shelves and boxes. Ann and Ashley ran through it as fast as they could, running past workers driving forklifts and unloading crates. The huge iron shelves were so high that they couldn't see the walls. Ann reasoned that if they went in the same direction they would find a wall and hopefully a door that would lead to the outside. Of course they didn't go in a strait line as there were too many shelves, and by now Alexander would have disposed of the guard and been after them. So Ann zigzagged through the maze pulling Ashley after her. Finally they found a wall and skirted along it looking for a door.

They went halfway around the warehouse before they finally found one. Pushing the large double doors open they skidded into a hallway that stretched both to their left and right. Ann chose to go right. The two women ran down the hallway until it finally turned to the left. There were several doors in this area. One open one on their left indicated that they were in an employee break area as there were several vending machines and tables scattered in the room. A man sat by himself sipping on a cup of coffee. He wore a set of tan dress slacks and a sharp light blue shirt with a tie and a name tag. Ann pushed Ashley out of sight. "Excuse me. I just started at Hot Topic and I'm kinda lost." Ann said sweetly. She figured Hot Topic was the best place since she was dressed right. The man looked up. "Oh, sure. Where you trying to go?" He asked. She smiled. "I just wanna find the way out." She told him. He stood up. "Well if you just keep going down this hallway and take a right you find a set of doors that'll take you back to the mall." He told her. "Thank you so much." She said as she grabbed Ashley and they headed in the direction. The guy followed them. "Hey what'd you say your name was? You look familiar." He commented. "Sorry, I'm late. Maybe I'll see ya later." She called over her shoulder as they began to run. "Your name?" He asked again as he continued to follow. "It's Ann." She said.

They reached the double doors and the three of them walked out into the mall. Ann cursed mentally. They were on the opposite end of the mall than where they had parked. They couldn't exactly run through the mall so they went down the escalators to get on a different level than the doors they came through and skirted along the edge of the stores towards the other end of the building. "Hey, ya know Hot Topic is the other way." The man commented behind them. Ann glanced over her shoulder. "Is he still following us?" Ashley asked astounded next to her. Ann frowned. She looked down at his name tag.

Jacob

"Listen Jacob. I appreciate your help, but we really have to go." Ann told him firmly. He looked at her skeptically. "You don't really work at Hot Topic do you?" He asked. Ann rolled her eyes. It was about that time when she saw Alexander riding down the escalator looking around for them. "Gotta go." She said as she grabbed Ashley's hand and continued on their way. Jacob continued following them.

Ann glanced back and spotted Alexander following them from a distance. He looked angry. "If you keep following us you could get hurt, and I won't be responsible." Ann told Jacob over her shoulder as they walked. "I'll keep following until you tell me who you are." Jacob told her. Ann groaned. "Shouldn't you be stalking the shelves at Nike instead of me?" Ann asked sarcastically. "Seriously, dude. The last thing we need right now is a nosy tag along." Ashley added beside her. Still he followed until they finally made it to the exit where the car was parked. At the doors Ann whirled to glare at the annoying man. "This is where you make the choice. You can either go back inside the mall and go about your pitiful little life or you can follow us and wind up who knows where, probably dead." Ann told him with venom.

Jacob crossed his arms defiantly. Then recognition struck him. "Hey, your that chick that was all over the news the other day. Giovanni?" He said hesitantly. Ann rolled her eyes. "Great. That's just great." Ann nearly yelled and whirled around. "Looks like your comin with us." Ashley said as she grabbed him by the arm and guided him outside the mall where Ann had just disappeared too.

Alexander was still following but he was quite a ways behind them and it looked like he was having trouble getting through the crowed. Ann ran to her car and opened the passenger door. Ashley and Jacob were right behind her. "Get in ass hole." Ann told him as she tossed Ashley the keys. Ashley got in the driver's side as Jacob got in next to where Ann stood. "Go back to my place and inform 'him' about Alexander. Tell him about this idiot too. I'll let him take care of this mess since he's the cause of it." Ann told the blonde. "Okay, what about the meeting with-" Ann cut her off. "No names. The less 'Jacob' here knows the better. I'll go to the meeting alone and I'll call 'him' to let him know your on your way if I get a chance, and don't say anything about me going to the diner." Ann glanced over her shoulder to see Alexander step out of the building and scan the parking lot. "Go. And remember what I said about the clutch." Ann told her. Ashley slammed the car into first like a racing pro and sped away leaving Ann on foot.

Ann glanced back to see that Alexander was sprinting her way. She noted that he was on a cell phone.

Perfect. He's calling backup.

**Better get going.**

Ann took off at a run towards a set of buildings across the busy 4 lane street that was on the other side of the parking lot. She was sure she could lose the man, as he was significantly older than her and also because of the fact that she knew the city better than him.

She reached the highway, and as expected, she had put a bit of distance between herself and her pursuer. She looked at the traffic along the busy city street. She had an opening and sprinted across the first half of the highway into the median. Looking back she saw Alexander reach the place where she had just stood. His way was now blocked by traffic. Ann scanned the traffic in front of her and found another opening. After sprinting across the street she looked back again and smiled at her stranded pursuer who glared at her as he waited for the chance to run. She laughed and disappeared around the corner of a building. Two blocks away she took a left down an ally then worked her way right and left over and over. Halfway through the connecting allies she gave up her quick paced jog and began walking with her hands in her pockets. She was honestly surprised losing him had been so easy.

Her hands came into contact with a small rectangular box in her coat pocket. She smiled as she pulled the half empty pack of cigarettes from her pocket. She could hardly call herself a smoker, as she didn't light up very often. But she had been a smoker once. She was comfortable enough with herself to let herself enjoy a smoke once in awhile without being hooked on it again.

Once upon a time she had lit up a lot more often. As she finished her cigarette she rounded a corner and was surprisingly close to the other side of the connecting allies and buildings. She turned the last corner that would take her back to a side street and tossed her cigarette down and stepped on it. But as she started down the last stretch of ally a figure stepped out from around the corner in front of her and she cursed. It was Alexander.

"I though you might come this way." He commented as she scowled at him.

Another tactician. Now I know where Jak gets it.

Without saying a word she launched herself in the other direction back the way she had come. At a full on run she took a different path that she had before. She could hear his footsteps chasing her. She had a plan this time though. Instead of looking for a quick escape as she ran she searched the allies for something she could use to her opponents disadvantage, which was his older age. It finally struck her as she remembered rescuing Joker from the swat van and how they had gotten away on the roof tops. She found what she was looking for in an ally that came to a dead end. Alexander was still behind her, probably thinking he had her cornered. But Ann didn't stop running.

At the last moment she leapt as high as she could and grasped the small PVC pipe that ran up the side of the wall. An annoyed sigh came from behind her as her pursuer realized what she was doing. She was already half way up the wall and seconds later she was on the building's roof running. She didn't bother to look back to see if he followed.

She smiled to herself. He may have been a brilliant tactician, but even if he managed to follow her up the side of the building he would have problems leaping off it and rolling to a stop. Both factors would slow him down significantly if he decided to continue chasing her. The leap of faith would be no problem for her, as she had done it dozens of times. She may wind up with a bruised elbow or scraped knee, but she was young and agile enough to be able to roll right into a run and keep going. After all the chasing and climbing he would definitely have trouble keeping up with her after leaping off a roof. It was either that or find a safer, and slower, way down. Either way she would surely lose him.

Her plan worked. When she came to the end of the buildings she noted that there were no obvious ways down, like fire escapes or ladders. Without hesitating she leapt off the building. She rolled as she hit the ground and managed to get to her feet in seconds. She looked over her shoulder just in time to see Alexander stop at the edge of the roof where she had just been. He stared down at her as she brushed herself off and headed down the street. Her back was a bit sore and she had hit her knee fairly hard when she landed, but she was otherwise unscathed.

Unlike before she continued sprinting and didn't slow her pace until a half hour later she was only a few blocks away from the diner where she was meeting Bruce. As she turned a corner a man getting into his car stopped and called out to her. She rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Now what?

As the man got closer to her she recognized him as Duane. Sighing in relief, she was glad she didn't have to fend off a pervert on top of everything else. "Hey, whadda ya doin out here?" Duane asked as he stopped in front of her. She was slightly tired from her chase across town. "It's a long story." She told him as she leaned against the wall of the building they were next to. "Where ya headed?" He asked. "The diner." She told him as she pulled out another cigarette. Lighting it she inhaled the taste and then leaned her head back against the wall. "You look beat. Want a lift?" He asked. She weighed her options and thought about how Bruce and Duane would react to each other. They had seemed to get along before so she agreed. Duane drove her down the street that she used to live on and to the diner.

Ann stepped out of the car and threw down her spent cigarette as she walked towards the door of the diner. Ann found Bruce sitting in a booth sipping on a cup of coffee while a waitress flirted shamelessly with him. Ann's heart leapt slightly at seeing him flirting with someone else.

**Is that jealously I sense?**

Of course not.

**What is that emotion? Someone has a crush!**

Oh my God. I don't need your mouth right now.

Bruce spotted her and happily waived her over. "Hey, sorry I had to kinda ditch you at the mall." She apologized.

Wait, why am I apologizing?

Akira made kissing sounds in her head.

"Oh it's no problem. I just figured you were being shy." He laughed. He was quite good at flirting she realized as she noted his cheerful tone was because of the waitress still standing next to him. "A cup of coffee, black, and bring the sugar." She told the waitress who looked less than happy at the moment. "And a coke." Duane added behind her. The waitress walked back towards the drink stand and began fixing the drinks.

"You okay?" Bruce asked seriously once she was gone. Ann nodded as she sat in the booth opposite him. Duane scooted her over and she gave him an annoyed look. It looked like she was still his center of attention as he was being a bit possessive. "Are you in trouble or something? What happened?" He asked. "I'm fine. Just a bit of a complication, that's all. Were you following me earlier?" She asked him.

He sighed. "You caught me. I know you don't like being followed, but honestly, it looked like you were in fear for your life, or Ashley's." He commented. "I was being followed by someone not as nice as you, and I was trying to make sure that Ashley didn't get hurt or mixed up in it." She told him. Suddenly Bruce's demeanor changed completely. He was still calm and kept his temper, but Ann could tell he was fuming on the inside.

"Was it your ex? Did he threaten you?" He asked quietly. "No. He had nothing to do with it, although it was his fault this guy knew who I was. I really can't say much more than that." She told him. It was Duane's turn to get angry.

"That son of a bitch, you need to get away from him. He's goinna get you killed." Duane said angrily. Ann glared at Duane trying to tell him to keep his mouth shut. Bruce glanced at Duane. "You know her ex?" He asked suspiciously. Duane glanced at him. "Unfortunately." Duane mumbled and looked away. "Personally?" Bruce asked. It looked like he was on the edge of his seat. Duane glanced back at Bruce. "Do you?" he asked slightly shocked. Ann didn't like the way this conversation was going. They stared each other down for a moment. "Look, it doesn't matter." Ann commented crossing her arms. Duane balked. "He does know!" He accused. "You told him? You didn't even tell me! I had to find out the hard way with a gun in my face!" Duane all but yelled. "Would you keep your damned voice down?" Ann hissed.

A moment of awkward silence stretched between the three of them. The waitress returned with Ann's coffee and Duane's Coke. She refilled Bruce's cup then walked away without a word. Ann gratefully sipped at her coffee. "Okay, you need to tell me what's going on here. Do you know who the guy was?" Bruce asked. "I can't tell you that." Ann replied. Duane groaned and threw back his head.

"Look, see how stubborn your being? This guy is probably the most powerful in the whole country and he's trying to help you. He could have the guy arrested or any number of things. But your too damn stubborn to take any help. You gotta do everything yourself." Duane said. She could tell he was annoyed. "Your friend has a point." Bruce commented.

"No way! I don't need help with this. He just caught me off guard. I honestly didn't expect him to be able to track us back to the U.S. let alone back here. And besides-" she pointed her finger at Bruce. "You would use him to get info about… my ex.' She accused. "Why do you care?" Duane exclaimed. "Look at all the crap he's put you through. Your really going to protect that lunatic?" Duane asked astounded.

"Unlike some other people, when someone shares information with me in confidence, I don't betray them." Ann said in an annoyed tone. "You didn't tell me who he was in confidence! I walked through a damn door to find him pointing a friggin gun at me! I've kept his secret because he already knows!" Duane said loudly as he pointed at Bruce. Ann rubbed her temples. "Enough with the yelling." She groaned.

"Ann. Let me help you. You should know by now I care more about your safety than anything." Bruce coaxed. Ann leaned her head against the window of the diner. On one hand it was Jak's fault that his father was pursuing her, so it stood to reason that he should take care of it himself. Especially since it was family and personal. On the other hand she knew that Bruce, being Batman, could call out a chase for the man and have him arrested and that would be the end of her problems with Alexander, at least temporarily, and it would also give Bruce the chance to prove that he did care more about her than capturing Joker. She groaned aloud. "Okay, I'm going to be honest here. I would seriously let you take care of it if this were just some acquaintance of his. But it's not. This guy has a personal relationship to him. That being the case I have to let him take care of it." Ann told Bruce calmly. She kept in mind that Duane still had no idea who Bruce really was.

"What kind of personal relationship?" Bruce asked after a moment of silence. Ann almost laughed. "A personal one." She told him as she took a drink of her coffee.

He gave her a warning look. "What kind? Is it an old friend? Family maybe?" He asked. His tone of voice suggested he was through playing around. She sighed. "I guess you could say family. Estranged family." She told him. "Hold up. That psycho sonofabitch has family?" Duane asked astounded.

Ann looked at him with a small smile gracing her lips. "Your not helping here, D." She told him then turned her attention back to Bruce. "Look, I've told you all I can. Like I said, I would let you take care of it, but it's personal to him. I'm already late and by now he probably has a bunch of his guys out looking for me to make sure I'm okay. So I'm goinna have to go." She said as she began to stand. "Wait, your not still talkin to him are you?" Duane asked while refusing to let her through. She scoffed. "Of course I am. He is still a part of my life until further notice. I have a right to do what I want and I will." She told him.

She was starting to get pissed off. Duane didn't look like he was going to back down so she stood on her seat and stepped over the back of the booth and away from both the men. She then dropped two dollars onto the table and walked towards the door.

"Wait. I'm going with you." Bruce said. Duane looked at him strangely. "That's what I was goinna say." He told him.

Ann glanced at Bruce. "Why?" She asked skeptically. "I'd like to have a few words with him." Bruce told her, ignoring Duane. "Are you crazy?" She laughed. "Your not going with me. Not only would you cause me more stress than it's worth, but your ass being there would piss him off beyond all reason. You'd cause more trouble than help." She told him. "You-" She pointed at Duane. "- will take me there." She informed him as she turned and walked towards the door. "You think I don't know where he is?" Bruce asked from behind her just as her hand touched the door to leave. She stopped and glanced back at him. He was standing now, his eyes piercing hers. "He stays there for a reason, you know. He knows I won't come after him there. It's the only place where we can be in the same room and not fight." Bruce told her. "I won't fight there. Because of you."

"I'm going to talk to him. Like it or not, I have something to say. And I'll show up regardless of your opinion." Bruce informed her.

Twenty minutes later Ann was in the passenger seat of Bruce's steel colored Lamborghini. The top was up on it and Duane was in the seat behind her. He was actually being quiet for once. It was silent nearly the whole ride to Ann's apartment. Ann was reminded of the whiskey that was in the bag in the back seat of her car. She resolved to get that before going up to her floor. She was going to need it. Finally she saw her building and the tension in her back grew.

This isn't going to be pretty.

"Remember, its neutral territory. No fighting." She said as she crossed her arms. It seemed almost ridiculous to be referring to her apartment as 'territory'. But it was necessary to remind both of the men that they could not fight. It was quite possibly the only way the two of them could speak to each other without fighting.

~Because of you.~

His words echoed in her mind.

Damn it. How do I get into these messy situations?

They pulled up in the covered parking lot. Bruce parked next to her Camaro and Ann immediately got out and walked to her car. Looking it over she was pleased that there were no scratches. She frowned realizing that the blonde had neglected to lock the doors. She opened the door and retrieved the whiskey from her bag then locked the doors and headed for the elevator. Bruce gave a questioning look at the bottle of whiskey while in the elevator. "Don't look at me like that. I'm goinna need it if this goes the way I think it will." She told him. Upon finally arriving at her floor Ann glanced at Bruce. He had a determined look on his face. "Look here. Don't just go bursting in there full of anger and questions. I'm pretty pissed off at him right now, so I go first." She told him. He smirked. "Fine."

She threw the door open. Joker was sitting one of the couches on his phone barking orders at some poor henchman. Devon and Jacob were sitting on the other couch. Jacob was looking a bit frightened. Ashley was sitting on the floor with her head resting against Devon's leg. At her entrance everyone stopped and looked up at her. Joker mumbled a never mind and hung up. Ashley jumped to her feet and ran at her. Ann was nearly knocked over as the blonde hugged her fiercely. "Are you okay?" She asked as she pulled away. "I'm a little beat up, but fine." Ann glared daggers at Joker who stood and walked over to her. He pulled her into an embrace of his own. She could feel his breath on her neck as he inhaled her scent and she shivered slightly. "I was worried." He said simply.

His full attention had been on her, but as he began to pull away he opened his eyes and saw Bruce and Duane standing behind her. He stepped back. "What is 'he' doing here?" Joker said quietly. "We ran into each other. He noticed the state I was in and helped. So did D." Ann told him. "But why is he 'here'?" Joker asked again glaring at Bruce. "Because I have something to say to you." Bruce answered for himself. "Then say it." Joker spat back at him. At the venom in his voice the whole room tensed. "Not so fast." Ann said as Bruce was about to speak. The whole room looked at her just in time to see her punch Joker in the face. His head snapped to the side with the force of her punch. He slowly turned back to look at her.

"I think you should start by telling me a little bit more about your family."


	35. Chapter 35

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I think you should start by telling me a little bit more about your family." She told him vehemently.

Joker was silent for a moment letting his glare sink in. "My family matters are not up for discussion at the moment, especially when 'he' is in the fucking room." Joker told her.

"Fine. Then I'll say what I need to say." Bruce said as he stepped through the door and past Ann to stand basically in Joker's face. The two men glared at each other as they stood face to face. "I'll start by saying that I'd like to punch you too. You're the reason this man came after her and you're the reason that she had to trek across the city 'alone' while injured to keep her friend safe. It's obvious he came here for you, and now that he knows about her, he's going to try to use her to get to you."

Now everyone was looking at him waiting for his next words. Even Joker. His expression had gone from a hate filled scornful look to almost interest.

"I don't know about you, but I actually care about her-" He pointed at Ann. "- and I'm here willing to put our differences aside to make sure that 'your' screw up doesn't get her killed."

"I think-" Joker paused. "-that you should keep your pretty nose out of my business." Joker finished.

Ann couldn't believe what she was hearing. Did Bruce just say he was willing to put aside their differences? Did she have water in her ears? She opened the whiskey and took a long drought of the liquid.

"It became my business when your dumb ass stunts put her in danger. If you want to get technical, it became my business when your stunts put the whole damn city in danger. You are my business. And don't forget it." Bruce told him. Joker clasped his hands together. "Oh that's right! You're the bat boy! I almost forgot. Well here I am bat boy! Finish your business." Joker's comment turned from razzing to menacing in an instant and everyone tensed up as Joker lifted his arms level with his shoulders

Bruce showed his disdain clearly on his face. The whole room could see just how much he wanted to take him up on the offer. "I'm not here to fight you, idiot. I'm here to make sure you don't get her killed." Bruce said evenly. His patience was starting to wear thinner.

Joker obviously didn't like being called an idiot. Ann decided to step in before it got too ugly. "Okay, that's enough. Both of you." She said stepping between them. "Bruce, I appreciate your concern, but I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Ann told him.

"Can I step in here?" Duane spoke up behind her. "No." Ann said in an annoyed tone. "Well, too damn bad. I got somethin to say too." He walked into the room. "I've sat back through this whole roller coaster ride between you two. Ann's never been one to keep herself out of trouble. In fact it's almost like she attracts danger to herself. But I do have to say, she did a helluva lot better job of staying under the radar before you came around. And I do agree with Bruce here. If you can't protect her then you need to step up and do what's best for her." Duane said. He then walked to the unoccupied couch and sat, apparently finished. "What the hell! Doesn't anyone listen to me anymore! I don't need protection!" Ann yelled at no one in particular.

Joker took a step back and crossed his arms. "Alright then pretty boy. What do you suggest?" He asked with a slight bit of sarcasm.

"I suggest that since this is, as Ann calls it, a personal issue with you, you deal with it in your own way. But while you do her and her friends need to remain protected. Obviously your goinna have your hands full. So let someone else step in and watch her." Bruce suggested.

"Hold up a minute. I'm not some child that needs an adult to hold her hand everywhere. Incase you haven't noticed I got away and got Ashley away ON MY OWN! I even covered my ass and brought back the only person that recognized me, nice to see he's still alive by the way." She glanced between Jacob and Joker. "The only help I received was a ride here after I had already lost him and I didn't even need that. It was just simpler. I REFUSE to be treated like a child any longer by EITHER of you!" She yelled at both Bruce and Joker. Bruce put a hand on her shoulder. Ann noticed Joker's temper flare next to her but she ignored him and looked at Bruce.

"It's not that we think you can't handle it. I know you can. But we care about you. Enough to make sure that we do everything possible to help. There are some things that you don't have to do on your own. Even though you can handle it it's harder on you. That's when friends step in and help." Bruce told her. Ann stared at him a moment longer weighing his words.

"That's right damn it! Listen to the fancy business man!" Duane hollered from across the room, totally spoiling the moment. Bruce just smiled at her.

Joker took the whiskey bottle from her hands and took a drink from it then handed it back. Just then Sniper opened the door and walked in. Apparently he had been the one Joker was yelling at over the phone before. "Nice to see your okay." He mumbled as he walked past Ann and took a seat.

Duane jumped in again. "Look, I got an idea." He said from the couch. Ann, Joker, and Bruce all turned to look at him. "The problem is this Alexander guy, right? Well, why don't we get 'bat boy' over there to call out a warrant for him? Even if the cops don't find him it'll still give him a hard time cause he'll have to stay out of sight more." Duane explained. Apparently he had figured out who Bruce was from the 'bat boy' comment.

"There ya go. You wanna help? Go do that." Joker said as he pushed a protesting Bruce towards the door.

"I wasn't finished." Duane said as he stood from the couch. All eyes, once again, turned to him. "While the cops put him under pressure from the outside Joker's forces dig through all the garbage on the inside trying to force him out. Since it's a personal matter you should handle it 'personally'." Duane said to Joker. "That'll keep you too busy to watch over Ann like she deserves. So she can go to Wayne's place and take a vacation till the guy is caught." Duane commented. This earned him a glare from both Joker and Ann. "Me and Ash will go too!" He added hastily. "As like chaperones or somethin."

"Hold on a minute. No way. This bull shit isn't necessary! He can't get to me! Only reason he did today was because I didn't know he was even here." Ann protested. It seemed her protests were a lost cause. Joker looked around the room. "Everyone out!" He shouted. Immediately Sniper, Devon, Jacob, Ashley, and Duane filed out of the room and into the hallway outside her apartment. Joker, Ann, and Bruce were the only ones left. "You too pretty boy." Joker told Bruce.

Bruce looked at Ann. She nodded and then watched as he reluctantly left the room and shut the door behind him. Joker sighed in relief as did Ann.

Ann watched as Joker sat on one of the couches and leaned his head back to look at the ceiling. After a moment she walked over to sit next to him. "Something you wanna say?" She asked. Joker turned his head to the side.

"I didn't expect him to be able to track us back here." He told her. She wasn't sure what he had meant but she nodded. "I know. It's not your fault he followed us." She told him. Joker ignored her comment. "He followed us here because of you. It's not about me and it never was." He told her. He let his words sink in a bit as Ann started getting that dreaded feeling in her stomach. "This is about my father, isn't it?" She asked. The corner of his lips twitched. "Well, kind of. It has more to do with your family tree than anything. Specifically on your biological grandmother's side."

Oh great.

Ann mentally retraced everything she knew about her grandmother, her real grandmother, not the woman who he remarried. "Her last name was Miller I think." Ann said to herself. "It was." Joker agreed. Her head snapped up to look at him. "How is it you know so much about my family?" She asked. "It's not because my father –grandfather- told you in Japan when we were children. By then he and my mother weren't on speaking terms. The very mention of her threw him into a rage." "No. Your 'grandfather' never mentioned anyone in your family." Joker admitted. "Jesus. This has something to do with what he said in his will. What the hell is going on and how does it involve you?" She asked suddenly angry. He wasn't telling her the full story. Again.

"Start from the beginning. What does Alexander want with me?" She asked.

"My father is a high standing member of a certain organization. They are the ones that want you." He explained. "Your 'grandfather' spent nearly his entire life fighting them away from your mother and grandmother. Thankfully, they were never able to figure out where you were. They thought she had given you up for adoption. In fact, she did. But your grandfather adopted you. They didn't know where you were. Your mother didn't even know. That's why she got so angry at your grandfather. That's also why they weren't on speaking terms." He told her.

"Okay." Ann said letting it sink in a bit. "Then how did they find me?" She asked.

Another long awkward silence ensued. "They found you because of me." He told her. "Somehow my father found out about your grandfather's visits to Japan to see the mentor that was teaching me, the arrogant son that would have nothing to do with him." Joker said in an angry tone. "So he looked into it and discovered that at one occasion he brought with him a young auburn haired girl. So he came to me asking about you. I basically told him to fuck off." He continued. "It wasn't until years later that I put it together. That's when I came looking for you. There's something about your family history that has him interested in you. I dunno their whole group is full of radical nutcases. They believe in resurrecting demons and all kinds of occult nonsense. I honestly have no idea why your so important, just that you are."

"Okay, lemme get this strait. Your father works for a group of people that think I'm special because of my ancestors. My grandfather got pissed off because my mother put me up for adoption to try and hide me, then my mother got pissed because my grandfather adopted me. You figured it out and came to find me. Finally realizing that I wasn't with my grandfather you decided to track me down by going to all the cities that had a branch of Nightshade and causing trouble, hoping I'd recognize you on the news or something. And then you got caught up in it and found yourself in a war with Batman, but you finally found me, but I didn't remember you. So you took me to Japan hoping I would remember. Your father must have suspected that you had something to do with me so he waited at the village or had someone watching it and he just so happened to be there when we finally showed up. So he confronted you that night and that's why you were angry. But you didn't think he'd be able to track us since we were using military transport and he wouldn't know where we were going. But anyways, he followed us back here and then waited around till he caught sight of me and that's how this all happened?" She asked.

"That's the story." He told her. She was suddenly angry as a realization dawned on her. "You didn't come find me because you were in love with me! You just came to try and warn me!" She yelled. He rolled his eyes. "Leave it to you to put drama on the part that doesn't matter. If it makes you feel any better I had already planned on looking for you before all this happened. And also, doesn't my combing the country just to warn you prove I care?" He asked.

She uncrossed her arms. "I suppose you have a point. So what's the problem? It's just like a group of people right?" He shook his head. "This organization is huge, and ancient. It started in the 1860s and there's a chapter in every state, not to mention most other countries. If it were a company it would be bigger than Nightshade and Wayne Enterprises combined. You can't just get rid of them. Much as I'd like to." He admitted.

A knock at the door interrupted them. Ashley cracked the door and stuck her head. "Hey, I have to pee." She said to both of them. Ann sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Go ahead." She told the blonde. Ashley flung the door open and ran to the bathroom. After the bathroom door slammed closed Duane stepped into the door way. "So you guys done with your talk yet?" Ann nodded. Everyone filed back in. Most of them were grumbling in annoyance. Bruce leaned against the wall by the door. Everyone else came in and sat on the spare couch except Duane who sat on the bar that separated the kitchen from the living room. By the time everyone had gotten situated Ashley was exiting the bathroom. She took a seat next to Ann.

"Okay, I fail to see one simple piece of logic here." Ann said. "This guy is after me, so why am I the only one hiding? If this is all about me it makes sense that I should help draw him out." Ashley's head perked up suddenly. "That's a great idea! You could be like the bait and draw him out!" She exclaimed excitedly. "No!" Both Bruce and Joker said at the same time. Ashley and Ann exchanged a look. They both knew what the other was thinking.

Weird.

"Why is that a bad idea? You both want him caught for my 'safety' right? And all I want is for my life to get back to normal. This would get it done faster." She reasoned. Duane laughed from the bar. "Girl, just what about your life do you consider normal?" He asked. Ann glared and flipped him off.

"I think she just has a problem letting people help her. And when she can't avoid it then she makes little stipulations to piss everyone off." Sniper commented. It was the first thing he had said since he got there. "Thank you!" Devon said next to him. "Go to hell." Ann mumbled. Ashley giggled. "Can we get back to the serious conversation please?" Joker said quietly with his arms crossed.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?" Jacob suddenly spoke from the couch. Everyone's eyes widened a bit as they looked at him. Everyone had forgotten he was even there. He stood up showing unexpected courage for a hostage. "The situation is simple. You both want her safe." He motioned and Bruce and Joker. "But neither of you are willing to let the other protect her." Ann's face turned red with anger. "I don't need protection!" She yelled stubbornly. Jacob ignored her and continued. "And she doesn't want to be left out of the action. So you'll all just have to compromise and share like nice children." A growl from Joker told him that he hadn't liked that comment. Jacob continued anyway. "During the day Ann and Bruce will go out in public a lot hoping to attract his attention. Meanwhile Joker's people will follow discreetly waiting for him to make his move. She will alternate nights between the two of you. One night she will go with Joker hunting. The other she will stay at Bruce's mansion to catch up on her sleep and rest in safety. Her helpless blonde friend will go with her. When she's at the mansion the guy with the buzz cut will go as a chaperone just to make the Joker happy." He finished. "Hey, what's wrong with my buzz cut?" Duane asked from across the room. "Yeah! And I'm hardly helpless!" Ashley yelled. "Now ya know how I feel, bunch of assholes." Ann commented snidely.

"I'll have you know I helped the infamous Joker escape from and armored SWAT car!" Ashley yelled at the hostage. "Pfft. Only because he set it all up to trap Ann into saving him." Sniper laughed. "What?" Both the women yelled. Devon looked mortified. "Shut up, idiot." He whispered. "It's true. They wouldn't even have involved you, but they needed someone that knew how to use a cutter. You really think he'd let himself get caught unless he had a reason?" Sniper continued.

Joker ran a hand through his green hair. "Sniper, shut up." He told him simply. Duane laughed from the counter. "Everyone is missing the friggin point here." Jacob said to the room. "You wanted a solution. I just gave it to you. Everyone is happy and miserable at the same time. Now would someone either kill me or let me go the hell home?" He asked.

"I agree with those terms." Duane said from across the room. "As do I." Bruce said from his vantage point by the door. "Okay. I'm good with that." Ann said quietly and crossed her arms. "At least I'll be doing something useful." She said more to herself. It was at that moment that everyone turned to look at Joker. He still had his arms crossed with his eyes closed. It was completely silent as everyone waited for his answer. Ann figured he was considering everything. After a long time of silence he finally spoke. "Fine." He said quietly. Ann had honestly been expecting him to say 'hell no'.

"Perfect. Now that I've solved everyone's problems, can I leave?" Jacob asked no one in particular. "I'll wait in the car." Bruce said then smoothly turned and walked out the open door. "I'll go get my shit." Duane said before following him. Devon stood. "C'mon Ash. Let's go get you packed." He told the blonde. "Okay." She said in a chipper voice and they both walked out arm in arm.

Joker looked up at Jacob who was still standing and looking bewildered as to why everyone was ignoring him. "How would you like a job?" He asked the man. Jacob looked between Joker and Ann. "Do I have a choice?" He asked. Joker laughed. "With the mood I'm in, your lucky to be alive at all." Joker told him. Jacob nodded. "Okay." Joker nodded at Sniper who walked over to Jacob. "Cell phone number." He said simply. Jacob gave him the number and Sniper put it in his phone. "Here's how it works. I call and you come. You do what I say and you get paid more in a week than you'd make in a year at the mall. But you piss me off, and I'll kill you. Sound fair?" The man nodded. "Good. Now go get some sleep. I'll be calling you sometime tomorrow." Joker told him. Jacob nodded again then left with a relieved sigh.

Sniper told them both good night then left. And they were alone.

Ann looked at Joker. "Sorry I screwed up your party plans." She told him.

Again? Why am I apologizing?

"Ah, it's not your fault, love." He told her as he pulled her to him. He held her in his arms inhaling her scent next to her neck like before. And like before it made her shiver.

He pulled back a bit. "You have my number. Call if anything happens. I'll text you if you want." He told her. She smiled. "Day or night?" She asked. He laughed. "Anytime. I'll text or talk anytime." Her smile widened. "Careful, you may regret saying that." She told him. He kissed her forehead. "Wake me up if you feel like it. I don't care." He responded. She shook her head. "This is so absurd." She said to herself. "I know. If you want I can fill you in on my father's organization and why he's interested in you over the phone." He told her. She got the idea that he was trying to make her want to call and text him a lot while she was away. She smirked. "Maybe tomorrow. I'm really tired." She told him. He nodded. "Lemme know when you get there." He instructed. She nodded.

They kissed almost tenderly at first. After a moment he couldn't restrain himself and he pulled her against him again fervently letting his tongue caress hers and grinding their bodies together. He pulled away painfully. "You should go, before I change my mind about this." He told her. She smiled and kissed him sweetly. "Bye." She said. He just watched her go silently. Ann turned and walked towards the door. She glanced back to see him standing there. It was at that moment, she decided, that he had never looked so alone.

Riding the elevator down by herself made her feel awkward. She realized, this would probably be the only alone time she got for awhile. She lit up a cigarette as she was riding down. She really didn't care that she was in a building. Once in the parking lot she found Bruce leaning against his car. She took one last drag from her cigarette then threw it down as she walked towards him. "Ready to go?" He asked. "Yeah, I just gotta get my bag." She told him as she walked to her car and retrieved the bag she had packed for herself earlier that day then locked the car. "I see you've managed to hang onto that bottle." Bruce said as she stuffed the half empty whiskey bottle into the bag. "It's my hold on sanity right now." She replied as he opened her door for her. She got in and he shut the door. He walked around the car and got inside. The purr of the motor kicked on as he turned over the key.

She leaned back against the seat. "Mmm. I love that sound." She commented. He smirked beside her as he urged the car into first and it smoothly began moving forward. "You really like cars huh." He said. She nodded. "I love working on cars and I love driving them." She told him. He glanced at her as he pulled out onto the road.

"What are your favorites?" He asked. "What cars?" He nodded. Ann leaned her head back and stared at him. "I guess my favorite is the '69 Camaro. That's why I restored it after all. I like the old school Trans Am like in Smokey and the Bandit too. I almost picked that car instead of the Camaro. I love them both. Then there's the Corvette. The look of a black Sting Ray Corvette makes me melt. I love just about any year Corvette." She told him. "So you like mostly the older cars?" He asked. She nodded. "Well what about the high end cars?" He asked. She shrugged. "I like the way a lot of the European cars look. Lamborghini's, Ferrari's, Bugatti's. Their all beautiful. But I've never really been around many of them to know how they handle, run, or sound." She replied. "Well what do you think of my Lamborghini?" He asked. "I like it. I like just about everything about it. The sound, the feel, the color. I haven't gotten a chance to drive it, so I can't really comment on its handling or anything like that." She explained.

The next ten minutes were spent talking about cars. The light easy conversation was relaxing and she was beginning to realize just how tired and stressed she was. She nearly fell asleep several times.

She had just begun drifting off again when the car pulled into the drive way of his mansion. Bruce lightly touched her arm after turning off the engine. She glanced over at him. "Hey. We're here." He told her. She yawned and stretched in her seat then opened the door and stepped out. The night air was crisp and cool. It felt refreshing and good against her skin. Ann pulled out her cell phone as Bruce stepped out of the car. As they walked up the steps of the mansion Ann sent a simple short text to Joker telling him she was there. Bruce unlocked the door and opened it for her. After the door closed there was a slightly awkward silence.

After a moment Bruce, as before, took her bag for her and she followed as he carried it up to her room. The stairs took a toll on her knee that she had yet to examine. She was grateful that Bruce was such a gentleman and carried her bag for her. Her back was hurting and sore also.

Once in her room Ann took off her leather coat and tossed it into a nearby chair. "Your hurt." Bruce commented from behind her. She scoffed. "Just a soar back and knee. I've had worse." She told him. He frowned. "The alcohol must be dulling the pain." He replied. She looked back at him. "What are you talking about?" She asked. "Your bleeding. Badly." He told her. She walked over to a nearby mirror and inspected her back. The entire back of her shirt was soaked in blood. Dried blood was all over the back of her right shoulder. By now the blood in her shirt had had time to mostly dry. It was sticky. She glared at her reflection then picked up her coat and looked at it. The leather was scuffed badly on the upper back and right shoulder. "Damn it. It must have happened when I jumped from the roof." She said under her breath, more pissed about her coat than her injury. She was completely un-phased by the blood. It didn't look nearly as bad as he made it sound and it definitely didn't feel that bad.

"Your knee's bleeding too." He commented as he walked over to her. "I got it." She told him. He smirked. "How are you supposed to clean that? You can't even reach it." He told her. "I'll take a shower." She responded. "C'mon. I bet you can't even get your shirt off." He said back. She glared at him then stubbornly tried any way. It would have been no problem, except the blood soaking her shirt was already dry and had somehow fused the shirt to her skin. She struggled for a moment then smothered a cry as an unexpected pain shot through her when she pulled on an area under her shoulder. Bruce stepped over to her. "Stubborn. Hold still." He told her as he pulled out a pocket knife. Instantly her eyes widened and she fought the urge to back away.

If Bruce noticed her reaction he pretended not to. He pulled at the side of her shirt and gently began cutting it away. "You just wanna see me naked." She accused. "That's ridiculous. Your hurt." He said evenly as he finished cutting the shirt up the side. He guided her to sit on the bed. He sat behind her and gently pulled the fabric away from her skin.

After a few minutes there was a knock on the bedroom door. "Hey, what's goin on?" Duane called from the door way. To him it must have looked like he was groping her and she was half naked. Bruce leaned sideways so Duane could see her back. "Oh, Jesus. How did you-" "She leapt off of a roof escaping Alexander, then neglected to tell anyone or treat the wound." Bruce told him as he continued pulling the fabric away from her back. Ann picked a spot on the floor and glared at it. "Your butler let me in after I pounded on the door for ten minutes." Duane explained from the door. Ann took the time to look over at him. He was wearing the same thing he had been earlier, camouflaged cargo pants and a plain orange tee shirt, but he had a brown duffle bag thrown over his shoulder. "I think he wants to know where his room is." Ann told Bruce. "Yeah, gimme a second here. I almost got it. I'll find you a room as soon as I get this thing off her." Bruce told Duane. Duane nodded.

A few minutes later Bruce finished with the shirt and excused himself to show Duane to his room. Ann was glad to finally have some space. She eagerly went to the bathroom and turned on the tap. She plugged the tub and allowed it to begin filling with semi hot water as she gingerly unsnapped her bra. Now that the shirt was off she could get a better look at her back. It wasn't all that bad. From her right shoulder to the middle of her back were a series of shallow scrapes. There were only two or three deeper looking scrapes. It wasn't a very bad injury, just one that bled a lot. Her whole back was covered in dried blood that had seeped from the scratches. Annoyed she found a grey colored wash rag and tossed it into the rising bath water. She then slid off her pants, taking special care to favor her left knee. Dark splotches of blood dotted the material where her knee had been. Once her jeans were off she sat on the lowered toilette lid and inspected the injury.

Her knee looked like it was in a slightly worse condition than her back. A bruise had already formed and a big knot kept the area sore. A few of the same scuffs from her back were present too. She glanced at the bath and decided it was finally full enough. She cut the flow of water and after striping from her panties she gently eased herself into the tub. The water was hot and relaxing. She reclined in the overly large Victorian style ball and claw tub.

After relaxing in the tub for awhile Ann picked up the wash rag and began cleaning her knee. The bath water was already collecting blood and she wanted to get out as soon as she could. After cleaning her knee she used the cloth to clean her back. It took a little longer than she would have liked but she eventually got it clean.

After cleaning her back she stood and unplugged the bath tub. She then turned on the shower and rinsed her whole body from her head to her feet. She stood in the hot stream of water and let it hit her back for a few minutes before she shut off the water and stepped out.

Looking in the cabinets she found white and gray towels. She grabbed a gray one figuring it wouldn't show up if any blood got on it. She didn't want to ruin Bruce's towels. She dried herself off being careful around her back then wrapped her hair with it trying to get a lot of the extra moisture out. She then wrapped herself in the towel and opened the bathroom door.

She found Bruce waiting for her lying sideways on her bed with his arms resting behind his head and his knees hung over the edge of the bed. She looked herself up and down and made sure she was covered by the towel. "What are you doing?" She asked from the door of the bathroom. Bruce raised his head. "Oh your finally done?" He asked. "I must have fallen asleep." Ann surveyed him to see that he had changed out of his business shirt and into a simple white tank top that showed off his muscles. She also noted the first aide kit lying on the bed next to him. "And what exactly do you plan on doing with that?" She asked referring to the kit. He glanced at it then back at her. "I 'plan' on bandaging your wounds." He told her sarcastically as he sat up. "That's not necessary. I can handle it." She told him.

He looked her up and down. She could feel his eyes lingering on her legs. "Your knee looks pretty banged up." He commented. "Come here. I know you won't be able to bandage your back properly. Or are you going to try anyway like you did with the shirt?" He asked sarcastically with a smirk. Ann sighed. It appeared she had no choice. She was really starting to have her fill of the no choice situations.

She walked over to where he sat on the bed and stood in front of him expectantly. His eyes were about three inches away from her chest. She was testing him but she was also annoyed. She wanted to see what he would do. He looked up at her completely ignoring her obvious play. He took her by the wrist and sat her down in front of him then opened the first aide kit. "This is goinna sting. Alcohol." He told her. "Go ahead. I've had my fair share of it." She replied. Memories of Jak pouring alcohol over the bullet wound in her arm flooded her thoughts. She felt him dab at her back with a cotton ball. The sting wasn't so bad at first. Then he hit one of the deeper scrapes and the stinging turned into pain. She flinched but after that first unexpected shot she remained still.

After a minute or two he stopped. "I have to move the towel lower." He told her. She nodded. She felt his fingers brush against her skin as he gently lowered the towel a few inches.

Bruce continued cleaning her back until he was satisfied that the alcohol could do no more good. She then felt him smoothing a sticky sab into the deeper scratches. He bandaged them with gauze and medical tape. After he was finished they both sat in silence for a moment. She glanced over her shoulder at him just in time to see him sigh rather loudly, and then he unexpectedly leaned his forehead on her left shoulder by her neck. She tensed slightly at this, but then relaxed when she realized he wasn't intending anything more than that.

"What's wrong now?" She asked after a moment went by. She could feel his breath on her neck and was having a hard time keeping herself from shivering. "Were so similar, yet different at the same time."

"What do you mean?" She asked levelly trying to keep her heart beat from accelerating.

She heard light footsteps at the door behind them like someone was trying to sneak away.

Oh thank God.

"Ash. What are you doing?" Ann asked suddenly. The blonde froze then popped her head around the corner. "Oh! Hi!" She called ecstatically like she had just gotten there. Ann heard Bruce sigh and he lifted his head. "Oh, am I interrupting something?" Ashley asked in a swoony voice. Bruce stood. "I was just helping her bandage the scrapes on her back." He said as he walked to the door. "I'll show you a room." Bruce told her as he walked by. "Okay!" She said happily then she looked at Ann and tossed a shopping bag to her. She then gave her a wink before trotting off down the hallway after Bruce.

Ann immediately went to the door and shut it. She would have locked it but there was no lock. She was tempted to block it off with a chair but decided against it. She grabbed her bag and dug through it looking for her underwear and pajamas. She put them on then dug through the bags Ashley had left her. All the things she had bought at the mall with Ashley were there. Ann didn't quite feel like sleeping yet so she dug out one of the books she had bought. She shut off all the lights but left the bathroom light on. She dragged a chair over by the bathroom then sat in it and pulled her knees up to her chest and cracked open the book.

Close to an hour later the door cracked open.

Damn it. What now?

Ashley quietly slipped her head in and looked around. "Ann?" She whispered. Ann sighed. "Over here." She said. Ashley smiled and slipped all the way into the room then closed the door. "I can't sleep." The blonde confessed. Ann smiled. "I can't either." Ann admitted. Ashley sat on the bed. "So what do you wanna do?" Ashley asked. Ann thought about it. "I could go for some coffee." Ann said more to herself. Ashley's eyes sparkled. "He has coffee?" she asked. Ann nodded. "You want some too?" Ann asked. The blonde nodded happily. "Well, looks like we'll have to help ourselves." Ann said and stood.

The two women quietly exited the bedroom and crept down the hallway towards the stairs. The creeping was hurting her knee but she ignored it. It wasn't that bad.

The majority of the mansion was dark and gloomy, but there was still enough light for them to see. Once at the bottom of the stairs Ann led the way through several larger rooms and towards the room with the bar where the coffee machine was. The rooms were dark and quiet as they made their way. Fortunately Ann had been there enough to know where she was going. Once in the right room Ann went behind the counter to make the coffee as Ashley sat at the bar. Behind the bar there were shelves full of different kinds of liquor. Ann went to the coffee machine to see that there was already coffee brewed. Shrugging Ann grabbed two cups and sat them on the bar and then filled them. After sliding one to Ashley Ann found the sugar and poured some in her glass then stirred it. Ann then sat the sugar on the counter and walked back around the bar and sat next to Ashley to drink her own coffee.

"Yum. This is great coffee." Ashley commented. "Uh huh." Ann agreed. "Do you know what kind it is?" The blonde asked. "No idea." Ann told her. It was quiet for a minute.

"So… interesting situation we're in here." Ashley commented. Ann scowled. "I guess." She replied quietly.

"Bruce was right, you know." Ashley commented. Ann glanced at her. "Whadda you mean?" Ann asked. "What he said about not having to do everything by yourself. You have friends that love you and want to help." Ashley told her.

That's two annoying subjects in less than a minute.

"I'm not keen on letting someone else call all the shots." Ann told her. "Honestly? I don't understand why you feel like you have to do everything by yourself." Ashley told her. Ann sighed. "I guess I'm just used to it." Ann admitted. Ashley glanced at her waiting for her to continue. "For years it's just been me. I didn't have anyone to watch my back except Misa. But really it was more of me watching hers." Ann explained. "But just look at all the friends you have now!" Ashley exclaimed. "You have Bruce, and Jak, and Duane, and Dev, and Misa, and Sniper, and me!" She said happily. "It's not just you and Misa anymore!"

Ann sipped at her coffee. "I guess you have a point. I'm just not used to it. Being alone so long made me a lil paranoid. And I've had so many people try to kill me its ridiculous." Ann replied. Ashley smiled. "But your still alive." Ashley pointed out with a wink. Ann had just enough time to smile at her before a familiar figure stepped around the corner holding a coffee cup.

"Hi Bruce!" Ashley said loudly. "Uh, hi." He replied. Ann snickered. Ashley's outburst of cheeriness had caught him off guard. Apparently he had been the one who brewed the coffee. He smirked at Ann then walked around the counter and refilled his cup. Ann wondered how much of the conversation he had heard as he generously refilled Ann and Ashley's cups then took a seat on the empty bench by Ann.

Ann pulled the sugar to her and poured some into her coffee and stirred it then took a drink. "Hey, we were wondering what kind of coffee this is. It's really good." Ann told Bruce. "This one is a rare species called Highland Coffee or Coffea Stenophylla. It's grown in the Netherlands." Bruce told her. "Oh." Ashley said absurdly. "So I guess the chance of finding it at Walmart is a little slim, huh." She laughed. Ann smiled. Bruce laughed. "I usually just drink Folgers but I was in the mood for something different so I brewed this." He told them.

"So what are you ladies doing up?" He asked. "We couldn't sleep." Ann told him. "Ah, me either." He replied. "You never sleep." Ann commented quietly and sipped at her coffee. Ashley giggled.

"Hey. What gives? You guys havin a party without me?" The two women and Bruce turned to look behind them at Duane who had just entered. "Lemme guess. You couldn't sleep?" Ann asked from her place at the bar. "You got it cup cake." Duane replied cheekily.

Looks like its back to the pet names.

"Don't call me that." Ann growled as he walked over to sit on the other side of Bruce. "Oh don't be like that. You know you like it." He told her. She was tempted to throw her coffee cup at him.

"There's coffee if you want it. Help yourself." Bruce told him. Duane shook his head. I'm really more of a Coke person." He declined.

"Well, since none of us can sleep, how bout a movie?" Bruce asked. Ashley's head perked up. "A movie sounds great!" She said happily. Ann was already starting to hate her perky mood swings.

So Ann followed as Bruce led them to the same movie room where they had kissed the night before. Needless to say, she wasn't thrilled about it. Bruce sat in the same spot as before with his legs stretched out in front of him. Ann contemplated on sitting across the room on the other end of the huge u shaped couch just to reinforce their 'friendship' status. Instead of being rude she opted for sitting at a comfortable four foot distance. It wasn't so far away that she was avoiding him but it wasn't close enough for him to associate it with her wanting to be closer, and it left room for Duane or Ashley to sit between them.

Of course, the human element didn't do what Ann was hoping for. Ashley sat on the other side of Ann and Duane sat next to her which alienated Bruce a bit.

* * *

Much to Ann's dismay, the movie they picked was Braveheart. Ann loved the movie, but it was a whopping 3 hours long. Ann remembered the first time she saw the movie as a teenager. It was the only movie that had ever made her cry. Probably because the movie held just about everything she believed in. And in the way Wallace died for his freedom was a testimate to Ann's own spirit.

Halfway through the movie Ashley did exactly what Ann was afraid she would do. She fell asleep. Somehow Ashley had managed to gradually begin leaning Ann's direction and by the time she finally fell asleep Ann had scooted over as far as she could to avoid becoming a pillow. She ended up being forced to sit right up against Bruce and all the effort she put into picking her seat was wasted. Ann was almost sure she had done it on purpose. It seemed Misa and Duane were trying to get her to dump Jak and go for Bruce. At least Ashley wasn't trying to get her to dump Jak. She was pushing Bruce a bit, however. Ann thought she probably just liked playing the match maker.

Ann glanced down at the sleeping blonde that had her head in Ann's lap. Yup, she was stuck. When the movie was almost over Duane got up and walked over to Ashley. "I'll just take her upstairs." He said quietly before picking her up and carrying her out of the room. Ann sighed in relief and stretched out a bit, glad that she was finally able to breath. Bruce was doing the same thing next to her.

Ann yawned and glanced at him then realized she was still sitting really close to him. He was staring at her like he had been the night before. She sucked in a breath and scooted away slightly. "We'll I'm tired and I don't like watching the end of this movie anyway. So… I'm goinna just go on to bed…" She said the last sentence slowly and began to stand up. As she was standing he reached out to her and gently took hold of her wrist and then lightly tugged her towards him. She was easily pulled off balance and wound up face first in his lap with their noses touching.

Her eyes widened drastically. "Oops." He whispered.

Oops indeed.

"Bull shit." She whispered back at him. All at once his lips were against hers and he pulled her farther into his lap. Her eyes got even wider if possible, but then she found herself going into that same lull of content. Her eyes slowly closed and without thinking she let herself be immersed into his lips. After a moment they pulled away and sat there staring at each other.

Duane suddenly pranced in the room. "Hey I got her back in-" His sentence abruptly stopped as he caught sight of the situation they were in. Ann immediately jumped to her feet. "I, uh, fell." She stammered. Then, not knowing what to do, she quickly ran out.

She didn't bother stopping to spy on the situation this time. She just ran back toward her room. Ann heard Bruce calling out to her, asking her to stop as she ran up the steps. He caught up with her just as she reached her bedroom door. He grabbed her by the wrist as she was reaching for the door knob. "Hey, hey." He stopped her. She turned to look at him slowly. He held her at arms length by the shoulders. "I'm sorry." He told her. She looked away. "I'm not mad at you." She told him. She glanced at him for a moment to see he looked surprised. He must have taken it as a sign to move in closer, for that's what he did. "I have a hard time thinking when you're here." He told her quietly. She backed up against the door as he closed the distance between them, his lips inches from hers. Her hand scrambled behind her looking for the door knob. Just as his lips touched hers she found it. She let the kiss go on for only a second before she opened the door. Whirling around she told him good night as the door closed in his face.

Ann sighed in relief. Looking at the clock she noted it was close to 4:00am. Groaning she climbed into bed. At least she might get a few decent hours of sleep before her big day beau as 'the bait'.

* * *

~Bruce's POV~

He stood on the other side of her door staring at the spot where she had just been standing. Leaning his forehead against the door for a moment he let out a long sigh. He then took three paces to the door next to hers and went in to sleep.

* * *

~The next morning~

Ashley quietly opened the door to Ann's bedroom and crept inside. Duane was close behind her. Duane pulled out his phone and pushed a few buttons. "Okay," he nodded to Ashley "I'm ready." He whispered. Suddenly Ashley leapt onto Ann's prone form and started yelling loudly while bouncing on the bed. Almost immediately Ann shot awake in a daze, scrambling to get away. In her haste she fell off the other side of the bed yelling in panic and confusion.

Ashley and Duane burst out in laughter. Seconds later Bruce burst through the door wearing nothing but a pair of boxers just as Ann was trying to regain her footing through the bed sheets, cursing like a sailor. Duane turned his phone to point in Bruce's direction. "I got the whole thing!" He yelled while in hysterical laughter. Ashley was leaning on the wall trying to catch her breath from laughing so hard. Ann had managed to free herself from the sheets. Bruce was standing stunned just inside the door. "You should have seen your face!" Duane laughed. "Sonofabitch!" Ann yelled as she basically threw herself at him in an attack. Both Ashley and Duane scrambled out of the room still laughing. "I'll kill you ass holes!" Ann yelled as she took off after them, practically knocking Bruce out of the way in the process.

* * *

10 minutes later they all sat at a large dining table in a large room with gold walls and black trim. Ann was guessing it was a dining room but it looked more like a really expensive restaurant with only one table. The table could easily accommodate 20 people. The four of them sat at one end of the enormous table waiting for their breakfast. Ann and Bruce sat on one side and Ashley and Duane on the other facing them. Bruce had tactfully put on a pair of pants since the escapade earlier, but remained shirtless. Everyone else was still in their pajamas.

Ashley and Duane were huddled together watching the embarrassing prank they had pulled over and over. Each time they played it Ann heard Ashley's annoying yelling and her own panicked screams and cursing.

Meanwhile Ann sat glaring daggers at the both of them while gripping her fork in her hand, visions of stabbing them both flooding her vision. Bruce leaned over to her. "That's also what friends do, by the way." He commented quietly. "And what exactly is that?" Ann asked in an angry but quiet voice. Bruce laughed slightly. "Tease each other." He replied. Ann growled in annoyance. Moments later Alfred and a man, who was apparently the cook, walked into the room each carrying two plates. Alfred sat his to plates before Ann and Bruce and the cook placed his before Ashley and Duane. Ashley immediately began eating. The rest of them took the time to actually look at their food before shoving it into their faces. Before Ann sat a glass of chocolate milk, a short stack of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage. Ann ate gracefully, trying fruitlessly to prove a point while Ashley scarfed down her food. Bruce and Duane ate silently, both watching the two women.

Duane finished eating first. Ashley had stopped to catch her breath. After a moment Duane began pushing buttons on his phone. Ann glared. "What are you doing?" She asked in a dangerous voice. He glanced up. "Just sharing a video." He answered. "I think you should remember the fable of a woman scorned." Bruce commented. "There's a fable to that?" Ashley asked.

Duane scoffed. "Woman scorned my ass. She's just embarrassed." Bruce stopped eating. "This woman is a red head remember. A wrathful vengeance is in her personality." Ann smiled. "Don't forget that you were caught in that video too. Running into my room thinking you were going to rescue a damsel in distress. And in nothing but your underwear no less. You have just as much right to be embarrassed as I do." She told him.

Bruce was caught speechless for a moment before he smirked. "Even in all the chaos of you being pissed off and chasing them 'you' still took the time to notice I was in my underwear. I think I'd consider that more of a compliment than an embarrassment." Ann's face reddened.

"Oooh burn." Duane said from his seat across from her. "Done!" Ashley yelled as she slammed down her fork. Ann rolled her eyes. "Duane beat you." Bruce commented. "Dangit!" She yelled. With a sigh Ann stood. "I'll go get dressed." Ann told them. In truth she was anxious to get out of the room, her face was still red from Bruce's comment. She exited the room and made her way to her bedroom where she began looking through clothes. She decided to wear her new pants and the stylish black shirt with slits that she had bought at the mall.

Just as she finished getting dressed there was a knock on her door. "It's open." She called from her spot on the bed as she finished pulling her shirt over her head. The door opened slowly to reveal Bruce standing on the other side. He stepped half way in the room and leaned on the door frame. Immediately her face reddened again, remembering his comment. "Did you need something?" She asked expectantly. "I was just wondering where you planned to go today." He told her. "Oh, well, the plan is to try to draw him out. So I figured I would make it easy for him to find me." She responded. "And how will you do that?" He asked. "I'm not only going to go to work, but I'm going to hold a press conference." She explained. "Even if he's not watching the company, surely he's watching the news." Bruce nodded. "Especially now that he's wanted." He commented. Ann glanced at him questioningly. "I sent a message to Gordon last night." He explained. Ann frowned. "How did you give him a description?" She asked. Bruce smiled. "Ah, I was at the mall, remember? I saw you disappear in the bathroom. I also saw a man follow you into the hall and stand waiting. I didn't even consider that he was following you. I thought you ran away because of me." He told her. Her eyebrows rose. "Perceptive." She praised. He nodded. "I do try."

Close to an hour later Bruce opened a limo door and helped Ann step out. There was a crowd of reporters just as Ashley had described the day before. Bruce escorted her through the crowd as the paparazzi asked her ridiculous questions and tried to get a statement from her. Once she got to the top of the stairs leading to Nightshade Ann turned on her heels to give the people a short address. At the look on her face everyone was quiet. The reporters held up their microphones waiting for her to speak.

"On the issue of my captivation, I have nothing to say. I would however like to urge the good people of this city to work with the police on this issue." Ann told them in a strong voice. "Miss Giovanni, what are your opinions of a so called Alexander whom has recently been known to associate with The Joker?" A smart looking blonde reporter asked then held up her microphone. "I believe this man to be very dangerous." Ann told the reporter. "Anyone with any information, no matter how miniscule, should call the police. Any small part you may play could be of valuable use." Ann replied. "Miss Giovanni, if you could say something to the villains of this city, what would it be?" A different reporter asked. Ann stopped to consider for a moment. "I would tell them that justice, true justice, will persevere and that people will always get what they deserve in the end." She said. "Miss Giovanni, who would you say is the most inspirational person in your life?" Another asked. "My father." She told them. She then turned and let Bruce escort her into the building.

Once in her office Ann gave a sigh of relief. Bruce made himself comfortable on one of the couches as he turned on the news. Ann sat at her desk and logged onto her computer. She was a bit frustrated with Joker at the moment. Even though he had finally told her the whole story, he had failed to tell her the name of his father's organization. She opened the net and began looking into her genealogy. It was a bit difficult. The surname Miller was apparently a common name. After half an hour she finally gave up trying to trace her family. It looked like if she wanted information on the subject she would have to question Alexander directly. If Joker knew, he wasn't telling her. Finding her mother was something Ann wouldn't want to do, and would probably prove about as difficult as winning a fist fight with Joker.

"Find anything useful?" Bruce asked from the couch. Ann shook her head. A few moments later the door opened. Ann and Bruce both looked up to see Misa enter the room. Ann was a bit surprised to see her. "I saw you on the news." Misa told her. Ann smirked. "Well, apparently that's not so difficult to do now days." Ann told her. "I heard about what happened." Misa said hesitantly looking at Bruce. She wasn't sure if she should say anything in front of him or not. "You can drop the act Misa." Bruce said from the couch with a smile. "I already know." He told her. She looked questioningly at Ann. "How much does he know?" Misa asked hesitantly. Ann smiled. "He knows just about everything." Ann confessed. Misa looked shocked at him. "And your still here? Aren't you afraid?" She asked in shock. Bruce smiled. "I don't fear him." He said. Ann was sure the subject was bothersome for him. "Well your really brave." She told him. "Um, thanks." It looked like she was still out of the loop. No one had told her Bruce's secret. By now, just about everyone in their circle knew except her. Ann felt a bit bad.

"Hey, about the other day. I'm sorry." Ann told her. "I'm sorry too. I should have told you. I know your just worried." Misa said back. Ann smiled. She figured there was no sense worrying her too badly about Alexander. As far as Ann knew he didn't know about her. "Hey, I'm goinna be staying at Bruce's for awhile. Ashley and Duane are goinna to be there too. It's kind of a safety issue. So if your not there at night I'd be happier if you stayed with Maroni." Ann told her. As much as Ann hated Maroni, if Misa was with him she knew she would be safer than she would be alone. Suddenly Misa looked worried. "A safety issue? And your staying with Bruce? Is it because of 'him'?" Misa asked. Ann frowned. "It is and it isn't. It's a bit complicated." Ann told her. "So he's not trying to kill you?" Misa asked. "No. But someone else is." Ann replied. "And he knows your staying with Bruce? Is he okay with that?" Misa asked. Ann shrugged. "I guess. He okayed it." Misa looked surprised. "Not that I have to get his permission or anything." Ann added. "Of course." Bruce said from the couch. "God forbid you have to answer to anyone." He said sarcastically. Ann frowned. Maybe he was getting a bit annoyed at the conversation. He had sounded just a bit hurt in his sarcasm. "Anyways, I guess me and Bruce are going out for awhile." Ann told her. "Oooh. A date?" Misa asked sheepishly. Ann and Bruce looked at each other. "Um, I guess." Ann told her. "Okay, well you guys have fun." She said as she returned to her desk. "Ready to go?" Bruce asked. Ann nodded.

* * *

"By now Joker's here. He'll be following." Ann told him once they were in the elevator. "I haven't forgotten. Your 'his' property." Bruce said hurtfully. Ann slowly turned to glare at him before she suddenly shoved him up against the wall of the elevator. "I belong to no one! You'd do good to remember that." She sneered at him. He smirked. "Then maybe you should start acting like it." He told her. Out of nowhere he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her hips into his as he kissed her. She was furious. But instead of pulling away and screaming at him she pushed herself against him harder, using her anger as a channel. She heard him groan and their kiss got more passionate. The elevator dinged and the doors began to open. Ann pushed away from him as a man in a business suit became visible. "Oh, sorry. I'll catch the next one." He apologized and stepped back. Ann's face flushed. After the elevator doors closed again Ann turned to glare at Bruce. "You really need to stop doing that." She told him. "What? Kissing you?" He asked. She flipped her hair. "No, kissing me when I'm not expecting it." She told him. He laughed.

Once outside it was back to business. Bruce, being in a mischievous mood, decided that they should go for a leisurely stroll in the city park. Ann knew he was doing it to piss Joker off. They walked through the park for over an hour arm in arm, enjoying each others company. All the while looking for signs of both Alexander and Joker. And all the while knowing that they were both watching. Ann was just hoping that Jak would be able to control his temper long enough to find his father.

After a whole hour walking through the overly large park Ann was already tired of it. It was already clear to her that Alexander wasn't going to show. He was smart enough to realize that she wasn't stupid. He would know it was a trap. She had to remind herself that this was Jak's father. She already knew he was a tactician from the way he hunted her the night before. Knowing he was watching made her paranoid, though she tried not to show it.

"Something wrong?" Bruce asked with a smile. Ann shook her head. "Ah, nothing." She told him. "Your nervous because you know he's watching us." Bruce commented. "Depending on who 'your' talking about, I'm agitated because I know he's watching and there's nothing I can do about it." Ann told him. "So you 'don't' want him to be watching." Bruce asked. He was still talking about Joker. She rolled her eyes. "Is he 'all' you think about?" She asked seriously. "You want an honest answer?" He asked. She shrugged. "That's why I asked." She said simply. "I think of you more." He told her. She felt her face beginning to flush for the third time that day. It was quiet for a moment.

"What say we go find some food?" Ann asked, hoping to change the subject. He smiled. "Sure."

Ann was beginning to think that he only smiled to make her feel more comfortable. He had been doing it a lot lately; even in situations she knew he was uncomfortable or annoyed with. She couldn't help contemplating this as she sat next to him on a park bench eating a hot dog that they had gotten from a nearby vendor. After finishing her food she leaned back against the back of the bench. "I really doubt were goinna catch him this way." Ann commented. Bruce glanced at her while still chewing his last bite of food. "Why do you say that?" He asked after he had finished chewing. "Because, this plan, it's too obvious. I would see through it, so I'm sure that he does too. He's not going to just pop up out of nowhere." She explained. He shrugged. "Well at least we got a nice date out of it." He commented. She crossed her arms. "I'd rather have him off my back." She replied. "Your right though, he's more likely to wait this out until we let our guard down." Bruce told her. "At least this serves one purpose though." Ann commented. "What's that?" He asked in an amused voice. "It'll piss him off. Seeing me all over the news and out in plain sight. He probably expected me to disappear. So he's angry that he sees me everywhere but can't do anything about it." She explained with a smirk. "So at least I'm pissing him off." He was silent for a moment. "We'll that's something at least." He told her.

After that they made their way back to Nightshade. Once in her office Ann dropped to lay on one of the couches. Bruce took a seat on the other. Ann had no more than begin to relax when her cell phone rang. Already knowing who it was Ann answered it without looking. "Yeah?" She asked. "You looked awful cozy out there." Jak's voice purred from the other side. "Just keeping up appearances. This is pointless. He isn't going to show." Ann told him. "Eventually he will make a mistake." He replied. "Yeah, or we will." Ann said back. "He's going to wait for us to get comfortable. He doesn't have another choice." She told him.

"But the longer he has to wait the more strain it will put on him. He can't hide from everyone forever." He responded. "See ya tonight, ok?" She asked. "Yeah." The sharp click of the phone told her that he had hung up. Ann closed the phone and slid it back into her pocket. "So you ever figure out what he wants?" Bruce asked from the other couch. "No idea. All I know is that it has something to do with my mother and her side of the family." Ann told him. Bruce shrugged. "So why don't you just call her?" Bruce asked.

Ann smirked. "Because I have no idea where she is. I saw her at the funeral, but there's no telling where she is now. I don't know if I'd want her help anyways." Ann confessed as she leaned her head back over the arm of the couch. A moment later the doors opened and Misa strode in. "Oh good. Your back. How was your date?" She asked coyly. Ann groaned mentally. "It was a date Misa. How do you think it went?" Ann asked sarcastically while she arched her back. Several audible cracked were heard and she relaxed back into the couch. At that point Bruce stood and went to the bathroom. "Well in any case, I'm glad your back. There's this lady that's been hanging around all day. She insists on seeing you. Says its important too." Misa told her as she walked past them and across the room. Ann's head perked up. "Who is she?" Ann asked. "She wouldn't tell me her name. But she says she knows you." Misa replied as she stacked a set of papers on Ann's desk. Ann frowned.

What the hell?

"I told her over and over that you weren't here. But she insists on waiting. She's said she'd be down in the lobby." Misa said. Ann suddenly stood and marched for the door. "Hey wait. Where are you going?" Misa asked. "Where do you think?" Ann said as she opened the door and walked out.

I'm damn sick of surprises. I'm damn sick of people. I'm goinna find out what this chick wants.

Ann rode down the elevator all the way to the lobby. During the ride down she was anxious. She wanted some answers. And if the lady wouldn't give Misa her name, then something was up.

Once at the lobby floor Ann stepped out of the elevator and looked around. The area was a decent size. There were a lot of people walking back and forth going about their business. It reminded Ann of a Bank lobby. She walked up to the security desk. A young short haired blonde girl sat behind the desk. She looked to be in her early twenties, possibly fresh out of the police academy. Ann guessed that she couldn't get a job as a cop yet. Her grey security uniform was crisp and clean.

Ann smiled at the blonde, whom from her name tag, suggested that her name was Katherine. She looked up as Ann approached. "Oh! Miss Giovanni. How can I help you?" She asked with a smile. Ann leaned on the counter. "I heard there was a lady down here looking for me." Ann told her. "Oh, yes miss. She's over there." Katherine pointed towards a lounge area across the room. Ann could see the back of the woman's head, but not her face. All Ann could tell was that she had black hair and she was reading a newspaper. Ann walked over to the woman and sat in the chair opposite her. "I heard you've been looking for me." Ann told her.

The woman smoothly folded the newspaper and placed it in her lap.

Oh my God.

"What are 'you' doing here?" Ann exclaimed. The woman, Ann's mother, sitting across from her crossed her arms. "We need to talk." She said simply. Just then out of nowhere, Bruce skidded to a halt right next to her. He had obviously been running. "What are you doing?" He asked in an angry voice. "What were you thinking? You can't just go running off after someone you don't even know. It could have been anyone." He said, obviously agitated.

It was clear Misa had told him about the mystery lady and Ann leaving to confront her. Relief shown through on his face at seeing her okay, despite his agitation. "First of all, I can do what ever I like. And second, she's not just someone I don't know." Ann told him. For the first time Bruce turned to look at the woman sitting opposite her. His eyes widened a bit. "Your mother." He said simply. He must have recognized the resemblances. "Ah. I see you've already discovered the reason for my visit. You have a lovely body guard." Her mother told her. Bruce frowned. "I'm not a body guard. I just care about her." He told the woman. She looked surprised. "Well your certainly muscled enough to be a body guard. Please excuse my assumption." She told him. That would probably be as close to an apology as he was going to get from her. "It's quite alright, ma'am. I'm Bruce Wayne. A pleasure to meet you." He said politely and extended his hand. She shook it. "Very nice. You may call me Debbie." She told him. "Well, I guess your not exactly a security threat. Let's go to my office where we can talk more comfortably" Ann said as she stood.

The elevator ride was uncomfortable for Ann. She was on edge with her mother so close. Bruce, however, seemed to be thriving at the personal look into her life. "It's very good that you've come to visit, if I may say so. We were only talking about you not ten minutes before you arrived." Bruce told her. And so came the small talk between the two. Ann noticed that Bruce was playing the perfect gentleman. He was going out of his way to look good for her mother.

"This isn't the one dad mentioned in his will." Her mother told her quietly. Ann scowled. Typical she would put that together. "No. He's not." Ann replied. Bruce was quiet next to her. "Where is he then?" She asked. Ann wasn't sure how to answer. "He, he's around. Keeps to himself." 

When they finally made it to the top floor Ann strode in confidently, trying not to give away the tension that was building in her back. At her sudden presence Misa stood. "Hey, did you find the-" Misa cut off her own sentence when she saw Debbie enter the room. "Misa, this is my 'mother' Debbie." Ann said shortly as she walked by. "Oh." Misa said simply and sat back down at her desk. Ann walked into her office and took a seat on one of her couches. Bruce sat next to her. Debbie tactfully sat on the couch opposite them. "Okay, I suggest we skip past the pleasantries and go strait to the point." Debbie said as soon as the room was quiet. "I agree. Let's start with Alexander's company. I'd very much like to know who they are and what they want with me." Ann told her. "As would I. I've been trying to figure that out for years." Debbie replied. "As far as who they are, they call themselves the Knights of Alda. All I really know about them is that they are powerful and persistent. They keep to themselves." She told them. "Perfect. At least now I have a name." Ann commented. "I did some research on the name Alda. It's an Italian name meaning 'long lived'." Debbie continued. Ann was beginning to feel like she was in one of those thriller movies that keep you guessing until the hero dies.

Bruce sat back and crossed his arms with a thoughtful look on his face. "Strange that I've never heard of them." He commented more to himself. "Like I said, they keep to themselves. Bribes, threats, assassinations. They'll do anything to keep their existence quiet." Debbie replied. "How do you know so much about them?" Bruce asked suddenly. "My mom was involved with them somehow when she was young. But something happened and her relationship with them fell apart. She spent the rest of her life avoiding them. My dad, your grandpa, spent millions trying to keep her safe. But when I was born, their interest shifted from her to me. Suddenly I was more important. My whole life they came after me." She explained. "So now their after Ann. I don't understand what they could possibly be looking for." Bruce mused aloud. "It has to be something genetically related. That's the only explanation." Ann commented. "That's what I thought when it was first explained to me. But I'm not so sure anymore." Debbie said. "What do you mean?" Ann asked. "They caught me once when I was sixteen. Asked me a bunch of questions I knew nothing about. Tried to make me tell them things I didn't even know. Most of the questions were about my mother. But it's a lot to take in when your being electrocuted. I don't remember most of it." She said. Ann's eyebrows rose.

They tortured her?

"I didn't want that to happen to you. When you were born I was determined to keep you safe no matter what. So I put you up for adoption, knowing that they wouldn't be able to find you. And then I disappeared. I didn't tell anyone what I had done. I spent a lot of time in the Arizona Superstition Mountains, backpacking and camping on the outskirts of towns. I was hoping that they would think I was dead, or at least have given up on finding me. I came home twelve years later to find that my father had gone behind my back and adopted you. I suppose he would have been angry when he found out I gave you up. I don't know how he found out. In any case, when I saw you for the first time I felt like I had gotten a second chance. But he wouldn't hear of it. He was convinced that I had abandoned you to face them alone with no protection. He thought that I had fed you to the wolves to save myself. That's basically the whole story." Her mother told her.

Ann was unusually quiet, and Bruce was blown away.

It's their fault.

**Excuse me?**

It's their fault that I never knew my mother.

Bruce sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Ann noticed that he had been wearing his hair loose a lot lately instead of slicked back. Personally, Ann preferred it that way. "Do you have a place to stay while your in town?" Bruce asked. "I've been staying in a motel." Debbie replied. "Ann's been staying with me for the past few days. She plans to until this thing blows over. You'd be welcome to join us." Bruce offered. Debbie shook her head. "That won't be necessary. I hate to tell you this, but this isn't going to just blow over. Now that they know your name and that you still exist their never going to stop." She informed them. "None the less. I'm sure it would be the perfect time to get to know your daughter." Debbie smiled. "I would like that, but if they knew I was here they would double their efforts to catch both of us. My being there would just make it harder for her. Besides, she's done just fine on her own without me." She replied. Ann was about to say something irate but a knock at the door distracted them.

Misa opened the door and stepped inside slightly. "Um, Ann. You might want to hear this." Misa told her. Ann frowned. "What is it?" She asked. "I held all your calls for your privacy; they all roll over to a voicemail. There's one that I think you should hear." Ann rose and walked to her desk. While standing she glanced at Bruce and then pushed the button to play her voicemail.

A smooth voice came over the speaker that Ann identified as Alexander. "I do believe we need to talk, my dear. You were very brave to stay and not run away like your mother did. I suppose that's the difference between the two of you. In any case, for the sake of my son I'll leave you this warning. Now that you've eliminated any possibilities of us being friendly about this we won't be going so easy. You have until morning to give yourself up or there will be consequences." The machine beeped telling them that the message was over.

The room was silent a moment. "That man doesn't understand who he's dealing with." Ann spoke first. She was guessing that Bruce was thinking the same thing by the look on his face. "Well, if you have any more questions, I'm staying at the Regent Beverly Wilshire." Debbie said as she stood. "Wait." Bruce said standing. "If you need anything, here's my number." Bruce said as he handed her a card. "That's my cell. I should be able to answer any time." He told her. "Thank you." She said as she walked towards the door. Ann had turned to face away looking out the window. Debbie stopped and turned to look back at the both of them. "Take care of her." She told Bruce quietly. She then disappeared through the door.

Ann leaned her forehead against the window and put her palm to the glass.

Bastards. This is war. I'll kill them all.

**They don't have anything on you. Your friends are all under safe surveillance. They can't black mail you into giving yourself up.**

Let them come. I will destroy them.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Bruce had crossed the room and was standing behind her. She glanced at him briefly before looking back out the window. He gently pulled at her shoulder and turned her around to face him. Something inside her wouldn't let her look at him. Maybe it was because she had just been planning on killing them all and she knew what his position was on killing. Her opinion differed from his slightly. She would kill if there was a good reason for it. That had to be why she couldn't look at him; because she had killed, and she would do so again if she had to.

He held her in front of him at arms length by the shoulders. "Hey, you okay?" He asked. She nodded.

Thoughts of her mother's torture flooded her vision. Rage boiled in her blood. But it was useless. There was nothing she could do, at least not at the moment. That realization made her sad. That it was out of her control. She was so sick of it.

A tear slid down the side of her face. Luckily she was turned away from him. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her cry. Unexpectedly she was pulled forward into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her and held her to him softly. She stood stiffly for a moment, but the thoughts of her mother being electrocuted persisted. A soft sob escaped her. He pulled her closer and she held him back. She didn't care about personal boundaries at the moment. Misa must have left because of how quiet it was. She had probably tactfully exited when Bruce approached her.

After she had calmed down a bit Bruce slowly pulled away from her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her towards one of the couches. He sat at the end with his back against the arm of the couch. One leg he let lay on the couch against the back and the other was hung off over the edge. He gently pulled at her wrists and she sat down. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and let her relax against him. A comfortable silence filled the room as she leaned her head back against his shoulder and closed her eyes as she tried her best to relax. It was so comfortable Ann thought about going to sleep in his arms.

At first he was still, just holding her like he knew she needed. But after some time passed he slowly leaned his head over to rest on hers. She sighed contently and closed her eyes. She hadn't felt so relaxed and comfortable in a long time, especially mentally.

It would never be like this with Jak.

**What do you mean?**

He has to play a game. It's always about something. I would never be able to just relax in his arms and know nothing would happen.

**That's a little dramatic isn't it?**

Maybe in a situation like this, but on a day to day basis. No.

Ann sighed as her thoughts took her in a different direction. She probably thought about a billion different things while she lay in his arms. Even so, her mind felt silent and empty.

I'm going to tell him.

**Your decision. Go ahead then.**

"I have a split personality." She said suddenly. Her voice sounded loud in her ears after it had been quiet so long. He looked down at her. "Excuse me?" He asked as if he hadn't heard her right. "I have a split personality." She repeated. "That's why my eyes looked the way they did. I was having a conversation. When I space out like that, that's what's happening." She told him. He was quiet for a moment.

"That's what you were so afraid to tell me?" He asked. "Huh?" She asked confused. Misa hadn't believed her when Ann had told her years ago. She had thought it was a hoax or a joke. Could he really just accept it that easily. "You were afraid to tell me when I asked. You acted like it was some deep dark secret." He told her. "Well, it is." She told him quietly. "I've heard what happens to people who they label with a mental disease. I didn't want to end up like that. I was paranoid. I had just found out about you and I didn't know what side you were on." She told him. She glanced up at him. He was smiling at her. "I told you I was more concerned about you. And I am." He told her. "I know." She said as she relaxed her head again. It was quiet again.

"You wanna tell me about it?" He asked. She shrugged. "Been there as long as I can remember. She seems more annoying than helpful sometimes. But I always have someone to talk to. And that helps a lot." She told him. "Does she have a name?" He asked. "Akira." She answered. "So is it just like a voice or is it the full blown thing. Like a Jeckyl and Hyde?" He asked. "It depends. She can take over if she wants to. But only when I let her or when I can't handle a situation." Ann told him. "Must be nice." He told her. Ann smiled. "What's that?" She asked. "Having someone to talk to. A un-bias opinion all the time. Always someone who listens." Ann laughed. "Well I wouldn't say she's un-bias. She has her own opinions and views. We argue quite a lot actually." Ann told him. "Oh? What's her personality like?" He asked. She looked at the ceiling thinking of a good way to describe her. "Intense. She doesn't fool around. She definitely gets her opinion out there when she has something to say. And she's the same way when she takes over. She has this feral almost deadly attitude. But she's mischievous too. She likes to tease me. She has a way of picking at certain things to annoy me, but it usually turns out to be something that I need to hear." She explained. "So, she only comes out when you let her or you need her to?" He asked. "Yeah, basically. Years ago she would try to take over when we argued. She succeeded a few times. But I had a strong enough mind to hold her back." She answered. "Aren't you every afraid that she wont give your body back once she has control?" He asked. "No. She's not like that. I wake up normal the next morning. But if we fight when she's in control it turns out different." She told him. He obviously didn't like that answer. "What do you mean 'different'?" He asked. "It has effects on my body. I can kick her out, but it hurts my head. Worse than any migraine you can imagine. And if it's really bad my body goes into shock." She explained. "Ahah. So that's where you learned to drink whiskey." He concluded. Ann laughed. "Well it's that and the Irish in me." He smiled.

.

"You getting hungry yet?" Bruce asked after awhile. Ann nodded. "Okay, let's go get something to eat." He suggested. "Sounds great." She replied. He waited for her to stand then he stood himself. On their way out Ann stopped to talk to Misa. "Hey. It'd probably be best if you don't go anywhere alone for awhile. I don't want to take any chances with this ass hole." Ann told her. Misa nodded. "Okay. I promise." Misa responded. "Do you have a ride home?" Ann asked. "I took the bus. It's easier." Misa answered. Ann mentally sighed in annoyance at the question she was about to ask. "Do you think Maroni could come pick you up?" Ann asked trying to keep her voice level. "Probably. I'll ask him in a little bit when he picks me up for lunch." Misa replied. Ann nodded. "Okay."

"I think I should talk to Maroni." Ann said once they got in the elevator. "He's a criminal." Bruce said. Ann rolled her eyes. "I'm aware of that. But he's good at what he does. I can't help but feeling that she would be safer if he knew what was going on." Ann admitted. "You have a point." Bruce acknowledged. "Believe me, I don't like the fact that they're dating. I wasn't too happy when I found out about it." Ann told him. "You talk like you know him." Bruce commented as the elevator reached the lobby. "Let's just say I've had a few choice encounters with him." Ann told him. She wasn't about to tell him she killed his brother. Or that Maroni had kidnapped Misa to get to her. At the moment, they were at a comfortable arrangement, and Ann liked it that way. He didn't bother her and she didn't bother him.

Ann walked with Bruce out to the car and he opened the door for her as usual. She didn't have any clue where he was taking her. It didn't help that she paid no attention to where he was driving. She stared out the window watching the buildings go by. Her mind was unusually blank. It had been awhile since she was able to just let go of her thoughts. She was far from happy with the situation that she was in, but at the moment she was content.

~"But just look at all the friends you have now! You have Bruce, and Jak, and Duane, and Dev, and Misa, and Sniper, and me!" She said happily. "It's not just you and Misa anymore!"~

Ann was reminded of Ashley's words.

I'm not alone anymore.

**You were never alone. You just thought you were.**

I meant besides you.

**So did I.**

They had arrived at their destination in no time. Ann made herself step away from her inner world of silence and exited the car as Bruce opened the door for her. She looked up to see that she was outside of the small diner that was close to her old apartment. Her eye brows rose. "You brought me here?" Ann asked. "Yeah. I figured you like it here." He told her. Ann smirked. "Well I have a bit of history in this area, and in this diner." She told him. "You used to live near here, right?" He asked. She nodded as they walked inside the diner.

They sat at a booth along the windows where Ann preferred to sit. The waitress brought them their drinks and menus. Ann decided on a club sandwich and fries while Bruce ate a classic burger. Their meal was relatively quiet. The diner was empty with the exception of the couple. The waitress leaned on a counter on the other side of the building watching them and eyeing Bruce. After the meal Ann and Bruce headed back to Nightshade.

They arrived at Ann's office just in time to see Maroni giving Misa a good bye kiss. Ann tried to keep her blood from boiling. "We need to talk." Ann told him as she walked up to the couple. Maroni turned and flashed a smile at her. "Of course, miss Giovanni." He said politely. She strode past him and into her office and Maroni followed. Misa began to go too but Bruce stopped her. "I think she wants to talk to him alone." He told her. Misa reluctantly watched as Bruce closed the doors and then took a seat at one of the chairs in front of Misa's desk.

Inside her office Ann invited Maroni to sit. He did and Ann took a seat across from him on the couch. "I understand you've been having some trouble with a stalker?" Maroni asked after they had seated. "Not quite. I didn't exactly tell Misa the whole story. I didn't want her to worry. But the situation is a bit more complicated and dangerous than she believes." Ann told him. Maroni raised his eyebrows. "And your ah, 'friend', won't help?" Maroni asked. "As I said, it's complicated. This man, Alexander, it a high standing member of a group who call themselves the Knights of Alda. For some reason this group has a very intense interest in me. Joker has coordinated his people and they are hunting for him, basically using me as bait. Also, the police are looking for him. They believe he is connected to Joker." Ann explained. Maroni sat back and crossed his legs. "It seems you have the situation under control. This man shouldn't last long with both Joker and the police searching for him. But I do appreciate the warning. I'll take extra precautions to keep her safe." Maroni told her. Ann stood and walked to her desk. "This is the message he left for me earlier today." Ann told him as she hit the playback button. Alexander's message replayed itself. When the recording was over Ann walked back towards the man.

Maroni looked surprised. "I appreciate you letting me take your time." Ann told him. Maroni stood and stepped towards her. He pulled a card out of his pocket. "Much as I shouldn't, I have developed a soft spot for you and your attitude. As well as your little group. Besides the fact that your disappearance would hurt Misa." Maroni told her. She gave him a confused look as he pulled a card from the inside of his coat pocket. "Have Joker call me later." He instructed her as he handed her the card. She was speechless for a moment. "Um, thank you." She told him. Maroni nodded and walked back towards the door. Before opening it he stopped. "Just know I harbor no ill feelings toward you. My brother was a disgrace to the family, and a fool. His time was coming soon anyway." Maroni told her. He then opened the door and disappeared.

Ann still had the surprised look on her face when Bruce walked in. "Well, how did it go?" He asked. "Pretty good actually. He said he was going to take extra precautions to keep Misa safe. And I think he just offered to help find Alexander." Ann told him. It was Bruce's turn to look surprised. "That's strange. Maroni doesn't typically do things like that for people outside his organization." Bruce commented as he sat on the couch. "He told me that he had developed a soft spot for me and my attitude. And also my little group." Ann told him as she sat behind her desk. He smirked. "Looks like your melting hearts." He told her. She scoffed at him. "Not exactly what I was going for." She said more to herself.

She logged onto her computer and searched for anything she could find on the Knights of Alda. She was amazed. In three hours she found absolutely nothing. Not even a scrap of a rumor. She had heard of organizations like The Knights Templar and The Knights Pythias. But this group was non-existent. After she had given up she tried searching for just the name Alda. Mostly she found a group of dentists that called themselves the ALDA. But when she looked for Italian names like her mother had suggested she discovered that it did indeed mean 'the long lived'. After looking up 'the long lived' all she found were the lyrics of some country song. That did it for her. She all but slammed the laptop closed and sighed in annoyance as she laid her forehead on her desk. By now it was after 6pm.

"I guess you didn't find anything." Bruce commented from the couch. He had been watching some kind of nature special that was on tv. "I didn't find a damn thing." She told him with her head still on her desk. He got up and walked over behind her. "Your mom did say that they were exclusive." Bruce commented. She felt his hands on her shoulders and was pleasantly surprised when he began massaging them. She hadn't had a massage in forever. It felt heavenly.

"Mmm. You don't have to do that." She mumbled. He brought his head down by her shoulder. "You wanna know a secret?" He asked quietly. It gave her the shivers. "Sure." She said. "I don't mind." He told her. His head was still by her shoulder. She hardly noticed. "Why's that?" She asked. "I like it." He told her. She felt her heart leap. "Well your good at it." She managed to say, trying to keep it from turning into an awkward situation. He kneaded his thumbs deeper into her back on either side of her spine. Her back involuntarily arched and she moaned slightly. "Your so tense. You should relax." He told her. "Have you seen the situation I'm in? It'd be hard for you to relax too." She commented.

"You mean this thing with those knights?" He asked. She had been talking about this situation between Bruce and Jak. "No. Well that adds to it." She replied. "Well what were you talking about then." He asked. There was something about the tone of his voice that suggested he already knew the answer. "You know exactly what I'm talking about." She informed him. "Well then maybe you should remind me." He told her. "This shit between you and him." She said through gritted teeth. "What? Because we are enemies?" He asked as his thumbs hit a particularly sensitive spot on her back. She groaned. For some odd reason his hands massaging her back was turning her on.

"I, uh, think you can stop now." She told him. "Your still tense." He told her simply. "Yeah, But 'now' I'm tense for a different reason." She told him as she stood. He smirked at her. "Thanks." She said hesitantly. He turned slightly to look out the window. "It's nearly dark." He commented. In his voice was what almost sounded like dread. "Yeah. Guess I should get goin then, huh." She replied as she walked towards the door. "I guess you should." He said. She stopped at the door to look back at him. "For what's it worth, I had an awesome time today." She told him. He smirked and followed her silently.

In the elevator ride Ann was fidgety and Bruce was silent. She knew he didn't want her to go. But this was the deal. They had both known it was coming all day. She gave him pointers for not trying to talk her out of it. "So are you goinna go too?" She asked suddenly. He glanced at her. "Do you want me too?" He asked. "You can do what ever you want." She said a bit too quickly. He smirked. "I'll just do my own thing then." He told her. She gave him a suspicious look. "Your going to follow us aren't you?" She asked. He shrugged. She let her head fall backwards and she stared at the ceiling of the elevator. She sighed as she righted herself and looked to the screen above the door to see they were only three floors away from the lobby.

Once there they would go out to his car and she would retrieve her weapons and trench coat. Then she would go alone to find Joker, even though she knew he would already be waiting for her. She looked back at him. "Hey, I wanted to thank you for earlier." She told him. He looked at her. "For what?" He asked. "For making me feel better." She told him referring to when he had held her on the couch. He smirked. "Any time." He told her. She was sure he meant it. The elevator dinged telling her that the doors were seconds away from opening. On impulse she stretched up on her toes and let her lips gently touch his. His eyes widened significantly. It was, after all, the first time 'she' had ever kissed 'him'. His eyes closed and he gently reached up to cup her face in his hand.

The kiss was over almost as suddenly as it had began. The doors slid open and she pulled away. His face still had a look of surprise. She smiled at him. "What's this? Have I caught the great Bruce Wayne speechless?" She laughed. He smiled at her before following her out of the elevator.

Bruce followed her as they walked to the covered parking lot where he had left his car. The sharp beeps the car made as she approached told her that he had just unlocked it. She opened the door and found the plastic bag that she had left there earlier that day. In it was her knife, belt, gun and holster, a black tank top, and her new trench coat. She was already wearing her boots. Ann sat in the passenger seat and left the door open as Bruce got in the driver's side. She pulled the tank top out of the bag. She debated making him turn around for a moment then decided it didn't really matter, seeing as how he had already basically seen her in nothing but a towel. She pulled her shirt over her head. She then put her arms in her shirt. With a quick glance at Bruce she noted that he was being the perfect gentleman and hadn't looked. She pulled the tank top over her head and adjusted it. Now he was watching her as she pulled out her gun holster and strapped it on. She stretched her arms and back to make sure it wasn't too tight against her bandages. Satisfied she slid on her belt and knife. She checked her gun then slid it into its holster with a smile. She already felt better. She had missed the feel of the weight of her guns. It just didn't feel natural without them. Lastly she pulled out her coat and stood outside the car. She threw the coat over her shoulder and effortlessly slipped her arms in before flipping her hair out from underneath the collar. She then snapped the three clasps together on the front.

"Whadda ya think?" She asked him as he stood and leaned his arms on the hood of the car. "You make being bad look good." He told her. She smirked. "I'm hardly being bad." She commented. "But thanks."

His face suddenly darkened significantly. Honestly, the look on his face freaked her out a bit. "What's wrong?" She asked. Not two seconds later she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her instincts took over and she spun intent on kicking the person in the face. Joker ducked just in time as her foot whizzed by his head and he caught her wrist, effectively stopping her attempt at back handing him. "Still on edge I see. That's good." He commented in a smooth voice. "Ass hole. You know better than that." She hissed as she glanced around the parking lot, thankful that it was empty. "I'll send her back in the morning." Joker said icily as he took her by the hand and began to walk off. Ann glanced back as she walked after him and waived a quick good bye. Bruce just smirked back at her and then got in his car.

"So what's the plan?" She asked as they walked across the parking lot. "Were going to see a friend." He told her. She didn't like the sound of that.

* * *

Ann climbed into a large white van to see that it was nearly full. Devon was driving, of course. Ashley sat in the passenger seat next to him. In the very back Duane and Jacob were sitting on the van's floor with a group of people that Ann recognized from Joker's crew. Sniper was sitting in the back seat behind Ashley. There was room for one more person next to him. Joker climbed into the over packed van and took a seat in the open spot. He then grabbed her by the upper legs and, none too gently, pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist. The engine was already running and Devon put it in reverse and they were on their way.

"How was your day?" Joker whispered in her ear. His sudden voice so close to her made her shiver. "It was okay." She told him. "My mom showed up earlier. She, uh, gave me a bit more information." Ann told him. "Oh?" He asked. "I know the name of the 'organization'." Ann said to him. "Well, consider yourself lucky. Not many do." He told her. It was silent for a moment. "I guess you followed me all day?" She asked to break the quiet. He nodded. "You looked rather comfortable. Walking around arm in arm with him." He commented with a slight bit of venom. Ann sighed. "I told you, I was just keeping up appearances." She replied. His arms around her wais tightened and she sucked in a breath. "I'm not sure I believe you, Love." He told her. "You being foolish." She told him. He was silent. She could feel him breathing on her neck. "Can you honestly tell me that there's nothing between you?" He asked quietly. "No I can't. He's my friend and I care about him." She told him. "He was one of the only people who was there for me when you weren't." She stated a bit harshly. "Were here, so you guys can drop it now." Devon said as he parked.

Ann stepped out and watched as Joker's crew all exited the van at the back. Ashley walked over to stand beside her. "Any idea what's going on?" Ann asked. "I'm clueless." Ashley told her. "What a surprise." Ann said sarcastically under her breath. "Hey! I heard that!" Ashley protested. Ann smirked. Joker and Duane walked over to where the women were standing. "You do remember how to be terrifying? Right?" Joker asked beside her. Ann glared at him. "I think I have it covered." She told him through gritted teeth. "Good." He said as he placed a hand on her ass and then began to guide her forward.

The group turned a corner and Ann looked up to see that they were in front of a dirty looking gentlemen's club that made its home on the edge of the slums of the city. Joker strode in confidently pulling her with him and the group followed. The inside of the club looked just as filthy and gritty as the outside had. Ann wrinkled her nose in disgust at the mere thought of being in a place like this. There were several stages with glowing neon lights around them and a bar along side the far wall. The stages all had scantily clothed girls who were dancing on stripper poles. Out in front of the stages were tables and chairs scattered throughout the open space where people could sit and watch.

Joker with his hand still on her ass walked up to the bar and leaned against it. He looked up at the bartender. "I, ah, need a Martini here." He told the bartender. Ann gave him a strange look.

Martini? Really. That's the key word?

"Sure." The man said before he opened the small door that led behind the bar. The man then bent down under the bar where, Ann assumed, he must have pushed a button. One of the huge full length mirrors that were spaced out behind the bar moved to the side revealing a hidden doorway. Ann's eyebrows raised.

Pretty snazzy for a strip club.

**Pft, just a hidden motor with rollers. No big deal.**

Joker smoothly urged her forward as they walked single file through the secret door. After everyone had passed through the door it slid closed behind them. Ann found herself standing in a large dark room. Dim florescent lights illuminated what little she could see of it. Suddenly the lights flicked on and the room was bright. Ann hissed and shielded her eyes. Apparently it hadn't fazed Joker in the least.

"Nash!" Joker yelled loudly as he strode forward. Ann looked around and realized that Devon at the back of the group had flipped on a light switch. Ann groaned in annoyance. Finally her eyes adjusted completely and she examined the room. It looked like a basic living area with a pool table and a personal stock pile of liquor. There was what looked like an office door across the room. And that was where Joker was headed. "Nash, get out here. You know what happens when you piss me off!" Joker yelled again as he threw the office door open. He barely had time to duck out of the way as a lamp flew past his head.

"No way! Your not welcome here! Get out!" A man's voice yelled from inside the door. Joker rolled his eyes. "I have at least ten people out here with guns. Now unless you want them to tear you in half with their bullets, you better come out here." Joker said from next to the door. "No way! The last time I dealt info with you Batman broke my leg!" The man yelled. "He strung me up from a building!" A computer chair came through the door next. Joker sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Ann could hear him mumbling profanity directed at Bruce in annoyance.

Ann figured mentioning Batman wasn't a good move on the man's part. It was already a sore subject. Her suspicions proved true. Joker had lost his patience and went strait into the door. Ann heard sounds of a scuffle and a few moments later a man appeared in the doorway. Joker was behind him literally twisting his arm causing him to walk forward cringing in pain. The man, Nash, was burly and looked to be the same height as Joker. He had dark brown hair that was short and slightly receding. Joker shoved him forward by his trapped arm. Devon and Sniper grabbed him by either arm and held him in place. "Now. I already know that someone is shipping weapons into the city. I need to know who that is." Joker said as he flicked open a wicked looking knife. "Alright!" The man shouted. "I don't know who the boss is, but I do know who's working for him." He declared.

Anything helps. Besides, we already know who the boss is.

"Well?" Joker said with obviously short patience. "You goinna pay?" The man asked. "I want a name and a location. Now." Joker replied harshly. "His name is Donivan. He's the one in charge of moving all the weapons. Their storing them in a warehouse along the river on the South side of town." The man said hastily. Joker paced back and forth a few times. "Nash, out of curiosity here, have you ever been down to the south side docks?" Joker asked. "I, um…." "There are at least 50 warehouses in that area!" He yelled at the man. Nash cringed. "I'm sorry, that's all I know." He said desperately. Joker sighed in annoyance. "Its goinna be a long night." He said more to himself as he pulled out a stack of cash and dropped in onto the floor at the man's knees then walked back the way they had come. Ann followed but glanced back just in time to see Devon and Sniper released the man who crumpled forward onto the floor in thanks.

Ann snickered to herself remembering the big burly man throwing a lamp and chair at Joker. Ann thought it funny that someone his size was afraid to fight Joker. Something was bothering her though. She had heard the name Donivan before, she just couldn't place where. As they exited the door of the men's club Ann dropped back t walk by Ashley. "Hey, you ever hear that name before?" Ann asked her. "What Donivan?" She thought about it for a moment. "It does sound really familiar." She admitted. By now it looked like Joker was hanging back a bit listening in on the conversation.

Suddenly Ashley's eyes got wide. "Oh my God! Its Donivan!" She exclaimed. Ann raised her eyebrows. "Yeah we know that, Ash." Ann told her. "No! Donivan! Michael's brother from Oklahoma!" Ashley yelled. Joker glanced back at them. "The Michael that's layin at the bottom of the lake?" He asked. "Yeah." Ashley said. "Had to make sure. It gets hard to keep track after awhile." He commented. Ann smirked. "Do you think he's in league with Alexander?" Ashley asked. "I dunno. I suppose it's possible." Ann commented as she climbed into the van. "He could have gone to your home town to gain more information. Either way, if it's the same Donivan, he's definitely here to get back at us." Ashley commented. "What 'us'? He probably didn't even know you were there. And all he knows about Joker is that he was with me." Ann told her. "As far as I'm concerned, if he's here, he's after me."

They all climbed into the van and Devon drove towards the southern docks. Ann wound up sitting in Joker's lap again. She was seriously beginning to consider getting a motorcycle for situations like this. Not that she minded sitting in his lap, but it got uncomfortable after awhile. And she had always wanted one. "So where do we start at?" Devon asked once they got closer to their destination. Joker considered. "Let's split up in pairs to cover more ground." He told them. "Well meet back at the van in a few hours." Ann commented. "Great!" Ashley said happily. Devon pulled over once they got into the area and let everyone out. Ann and Joker went together, of course. Ann was assuming that Devon and Ashley would go together too. That left Duane to tag along with Sniper and then the other four guys.

Ann decided she wanted to go along the water line to scope out the warehouses on the docks. If someone was moving weapons into the area they would probably be doing it at night and by boat since it was on the coast line. So after explaining her theory to Joker they headed up the coast line looking for activity.

* * *

An hour later and they still hadn't found anything at all. Every warehouse that they quietly passed was dark and empty. Ann was beginning to get annoyed.

I bet that guy really did know where it was.

**Too late now.**

Ann sighed in annoyance for at least the ninth time. This was not how it was supposed to be. She was supposed to be in on the action. This wasn't action. It was a bloody game of hide and seek. Then she heard something that sounded like a machine. Ann glanced at Joker confirming that he had heard it too. They quietly crept forward and glanced around the corner of a nearby building.

Sure enough. They gazed upon a warehouse loading area that was lit by flood lights. Several fork lifts were going back and forth with boxes as a number of men walked casually around the perimeter. So far every man she saw was carrying a machine gun. Ann wondered for a moment where the owner of all the crates of guns had gotten the money buy them all. Then she remembered.

Large unknown organization established in the 1860s.

The two of them backed back around the corner. "Right, let's go get the others." Ann said. Joker nodded and they quietly went back the way they came.


	36. Chapter 36

 

 

The two of them backed back around the corner. "Right, let's go get the others." Ann said. Joker nodded and they quietly went back the way they came.

As they walked Ann handed him the card Maroni had given her. "What's this?" He asked as he looked it over. "Maroni told me to have you call him. I think he wants to help." She told him.

It took only half the time to make it back to the van. Instead of quietly maneuvering around the buildings they went in a strait line. Once there Ann was pleased to see that Duane, Jacob and the other henchmen had just arrived. Devon and Ashley were the only ones still gone. Ann sat in the open back door of the van and reclined against the wall. Everyone else was relaxing in a similar fashion. Everyone except Joker, Ann noticed, who was a ways away on his cell phone. Ann smirked. "Gotta love me." She mumbled to herself.

Ten minutes later Ashley and Devon showed up. Joker who had seated himself next to her seemed content with pretending he was asleep. After another five minutes passed Ashley was beginning to get visibly annoyed. "Well, let's go get em." She said. "What are we waiting on?" She asked. It was then when a school bus pulled up behind them and goons started piling out. "Well at least they weren't all crammed in a van." Ann commented. Joker rolled his eyes. One of the men walked up to her. "Malcolm Malone, we were told to follow your instructions ma'am." The man told her as he extended his hand for her to shake. Her eyebrow's rose.

"My orders? Not Joker's?" She asked out of sheer shock. "That's right ma'am." He replied. Joker looked mildly annoyed by this. Ann smirked. "Finally someone acknowledges my talent." She stated happily. "Actually, Maroni instructed that you were the better of the two to follow, as your mood swings are only mild in comparison." The man told her. Ann glared at the man. Joker smirked. "Yup. Your talents are 'well' acknowledged." He commented. Ann elbowed him. "Okay. So basically we go in and take care of everybody. Try to leave someone alive that we can question. And pay attention to the people your fighting with so as not to shoot anyone on our side. Other than that just do what me or Joker says." She told the man. "Lets go." Joker said as he stood.

Apparently they were to walk as to not draw too much attention to themselves. Ann failed to see the point. Thirty to forty people walking down the street was sure to draw a bit more attention that a van and a bus. That was her opinion anyway. She was guessing that the sound of footsteps approaching was harder to notice that an engine.

After a half hour they arrived at the same place as before. And as before the sound of the fork lifts were audible. After peering around the corner like before Ann could see the guards patrolling the area. She looked at the man from before, who was clearly the leader of Maroni's group. "Split your men into three groups and have them each come from three directions. My men will come from the forth and we'll box them in. Instruct them to remain undetected as long as possible so as not to alert the rest." Ann told the man. He nodded and began talking to his men. After a few moments Maroni's men split into three groups and began to circle the building getting into position.

After five minutes Ann was sure they were all ready. Joker and Ann silently advanced towards the open door while keeping themselves hidden behind various crates and boxes that were stacked in the area. Devon and the rest stayed back by the corner and behind a few crates near it ready to lay down fire if needed. Once closer Ann could survey the situation further. There were two guys on a second floor balcony with rifles, ready to shoot anyone who fought with the ground men. On the ground two forklifts ran back and forth loading the crates and taking them inside the big double doors underneath the balcony. Ann counted six people walking around the perimeter of the area with machine guns. "We can get rid of them easily and quickly alone." Joker told the others. "Stay back until necessary." He added as Ann moved forward quickly.

Ann crouched behind a crate. Joker had disappeared. He was probably waiting for a guard to get close enough to his location. Ann peeked up over the crate to see that the guard closest to her was walking towards a crate to her left. Sure enough, the guard stood by the crate looking for a moment. As soon as he turned around a hand covered his mouth and Ann saw the glint of steel across his neck as he was pulled backwards out of sight. She smirked.

Alright then. We'll play that way.

A guard seemed to notice his friend's disappearance and walked her direction. He stood beside her hiding spot for a moment looking. Just as he turned around to walk away Ann copied Joker's sneak attack. Hoping that Bruce wasn't following her around and watching her she moved to a crate closer to the wall, where one guard was pacing back and forth by the doors. Ann was beginning to notice that the guards were rather lazy. She was guessing that they had been here at least a few days. Ann stayed hidden and as the guard turned near her to walk back the other direction she quietly left her hiding space and stabbed him in the back while covering his mouth. She then quickly dragged him back behind the crate. After looking around she noticed that Joker must have silenced another guard. There were only two on the ground now and two in the tower. Ann saw Joker dash from behind a crate then disappear behind another.

She waited until the other two guards weren't looking her way then quickly and quietly made her way to the huge doors and slipped inside. Once inside she took out her gun and skirted the walls of the building looking around. So far she didn't see much. Just a bunch of boxes and crates. Assuming that they were all full of guns she wondered just how many people that they were planning to supply, or if they were merely going to sell most of them. Her goal was to get upstairs unnoticed and get rid of the two guards on the balcony so that Devon and the others could get to the doors without being seen once Joker took out the other two guards on the ground.

After going a quarter way around the building Ann noticed a set of stairs going along the wall up to a door on the second story. The crates were stacked half as tall as the stairs. So Ann felt she had a viable chance of getting to the top unnoticed. She began to make her way for the stairs when she saw two men come out the door and descend the stairs talking. Ann crept closer as they stopped at the bottom. She thought she recognized one it the white shirt, but she couldn't quite get a good look at his face. As she advanced towards them part of their conversation became audible.

"-can tell Alexander that everything will be in place in time." The man in the white shirt told the other in a grey tank top. Ann peeked around the stack of boxes she was behind. The man in the grey nodded and the two turned to walk through the warehouse. As they did she got a good look at his face. A nasty and wicked looking scar slid down his face under his right eye. Ann's eyes widened.

She would have been caught completely off guard if she hadn't heard his name earlier that night. The man walking farther into the building looked almost exactly like his late brother Michael. It was Donivan. The same Donivan that had attacked her at the party in Oklahoma. The man whom Joker carved that same wicked scar into for harming her.

~"He marked my Shadow, so I marked him."~

Oooh. I bet he was pissed about that.

Ann sneered inside her head. He deserved it as far as she was concerned. She still remembered her fight with him. She also remembered being hit in the back of the head with an unknown object.

Cowards. He'd never lay a hand on me if his friend hadn't hit me in the back of the head.

As they moved back towards the direction that she had come from Ann crept around the corner towards the stairs. She was cautious as she quietly walked up the stairs as they looked old and rusty. She also paid attention to anyone who could potentially see her as she hurried up the stairs.

Once at the top Ann ducked inside the door. She seemed to be inside a small office. A catwalk extended all the way around the inside of the warehouse. Resolving to come back to the office Ann walked as quietly as possible towards the balcony where the two guards were likely beginning to notice the lack of their cohorts on the ground. Once she got closer she moved a bit more slowly looking for signs of the two guards. They were both on the balcony as expected. They were facing away from her, one standing near the railing and the other leaning over it looking down. Ann figured that he was looking for their friends on the ground. She looked for a way to take them out quietly. She went with the first and easiest thing that came to her mind. Quietly she walked up behind the two of them and quickly and easily shoved them over the railing before they even had time to notice her. She knew that the fall wouldn't be enough to kill the men, but seeing as how they fell face first she was assuming that they would at least be knocked out. She looked down over the railing to see that the two of them had landed just behind Donivan and his friend as they walked out the doors. The both of them turned to look up at her shocked. She smiled and waived at them as Joker and Devon came out of nowhere to brandish a gun at each of their heads.

Donivan looked less than happy as he raised his hands above his head and his friend did the same. Several of Jokers henchmen dragged the two guards out of sight as Devon tied Donivan's and the other man's hands behind their backs. Jacob and Another henchman guided them out of sight. Ann was assuming they were being taken back to the van. Smiling she turned to go back to the office.

Once Ann stepped through the door to the office she looked around the room more clearly. She saw two desks that had papers scattered all across them. So far she hadn't found anything interesting when she heard what sounded like someone climbing the stairs. Ann pressed herself up against the wall next to the door, ready to bash the intruder in the back of the skull with the back of her gun the moment they stepped through the door.

After a few moments a man stepped through the door. Ann swung the butt of her pistol only to have her hand stopped by a purple glove. Ann groaned audibly when Joker stepped through the door. "I doubt Maroni would be happy about you pistol whipping his top man." Joker commented. She glared at him. "Well if you'd learn to communicate better! Maybe a 'hey were comin up' or a 'don't hit me when I come through the door' might be helpful!" She yelled at him. "We have the area secure Ma'am." Malcolm told her. She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Good. Establish a perimeter and be ready to pull out." She told the man. He nodded and exited quickly through the door, apparently indifferent at nearly being knocked unconscious.

Joker smirked at her. She ignored him and went back to the desk. "I can't find a damn thing useful." She muttered as she pushed aside papers and empty envelopes. He walked up behind her and looked over her shoulder watching as she shoved things aside. She stiffened at his body so close to hers. She knew if he hadn't been looking for something interesting on the desk that he would have been playing at her tension and provoking her desire.

He reached around her to pick up a newspaper. "Take a look." He said as he held the paper up to her. Ann took it with a bit of shock. On the front page of the paper was a picture of her. The column next to it described her press conference that she gave to weed out Alexander. Her picture was scribbled over with red ink stating 'die die die'. "This guy has some issues." She stated and handed the paper back. It actually reminded her of something Joker might do.

Nothing else in the office looked even remotely interesting and held no accounts of anything involving the knights or Alexander. "Well at least we have Donivan. Surely we can get something useful out of him." Ann commented as she exited the room. Joker followed her.

"I'll let you take care of the details." Ann told Joker. "Obviously, I can't keep him in my closet while I torture him for information. That's kinda your thing anyways." She commented as their group of four walked down the street towards the van. "You wouldn't be good at it anyway." He told her as they approached the van. She ignored it as she stepped around to the back of the van to see Jacob and Joker's other henchman sitting beside an unconscious Donivan and his friend. "Perfect." Ann commented.

Maroni's henchmen were already loading back into the bus. Joker had instructed several of his own men to stay and keep an eye on the warehouse and then follow anyone who showed up. The rest of his 'employees' were to come back and load up as much of the ammo as possible. Though Ann was annoyed at this because it wasn't what they had come to do she also accepted that Joker had a 'business' to run and that all that free ammo could possibly come in handy later.

Jacob and the henchmen already present lifted Donivan and his friend and tossed them roughly into the back of the van. Everyone in Joker's company except the two staying behind as spies got into the van as well.

By the time Joker had dropped Ann and Ashley off at her apartment it was close to 4:00am. Joker had taken his time and made sure to drop them off last so as to spend as much time with her as possible. Though he wouldn't admit it.

Ann had managed to stave off her exhaustion throughout the night, but now she was near the point of passing out from lack of sleep. Ann was seriously contemplating just going up to her room and passing out. But Ashley would have none of it. The blonde was determined to go back to Bruce's and relax in luxury. After a quick run up to her apartment to grab some whiskey and a few books the two of them got in Ann's car and headed for Bruce's place. Duane had planned to show up there later.

After a good half hour they pulled up outside Bruce's manor. Ann felt like she was sleep walking as she trudged up the steps and to the door. Ann thought about knocking, but she decided against it. If Bruce had been home he'd have already been at the door, and Alfred was likely asleep and wouldn't hear them for a good ten minutes anyway. So she just opened the door, which she was surprised to find unlocked, and walked inside. Once inside she took her things up to her room. Ashley followed until they reached her room. She then mumbled a goodnight and disappeared through the door.

Ann opened her door and turned on the light. She then dropped her items and collapsed on the bed. She was unconscious before she hit the mattress.

Quite some time later Ann was awoken by someone lifting her upper body off the bed. She groggily opened her eyes to see that Bruce was the one moving her. He hadn't noticed that she was awake yet so she kept quiet to see what he would do. He lifted her into a sitting position and let her lean against his shoulder. He then quietly and gently unfastened her coats buckles and then slid it down her back. He pulled her arms out of the coat and let it lay on the bed behind her. She was still sitting on it so he left it there. Next he unfastened the buckle on her holster and pulled it and the gun off her then laid them next to the bed. He did the same with her belt and knife. She silently prayed that he didn't notice any blood on her knife. He gently laid her back on the bed and then bent down to begin untying her boots.

Ann was surprised by his affectionate actions. They had to be genuine. He thought she was asleep, so it wasn't possible for him to have other motives. There'd be no reason to unless he actually cared for her.

She figured she had let it go on far enough. So she quietly placed her hands behind her head then discretely coughed. He jerked his head up suddenly in surprise. "I think I'm capable of taking my own shoes off." She commented as he slipped the last boot off her foot. "Looked like you were pretty incapable to me." He told her as he stood. "You should get some sleep." He informed her. She shook her head. "Naw. I'm awake now. 'Someone' woke me up." She told him as she glanced at the clock. It read 10:38am. That meant she had only gotten close to 6 hours of sleep. "You goin to work today?" He asked, jolting her from her thoughts. She groaned. "Maybe after lunch." She told him.

"I think Ima go for some coffee." She said as she stood and walked to the door. "Oh, and by the way-" she said as she lifted her left pants leg. "-ya missed one." Bruce glanced down to see her second gun and holster that was securely strapped to her leg. She smiled and then disappeared through the door.

Ann had just begun brewing the coffee. She stood watching the coffee drip into the pot for a moment before she couldn't resist herself. She lifted the lid on the pot and inhaled the smell of the coffee. Unbeknownst to her Bruce was watching from the door way as she lowered the lid and stretched. He didn't approach her until she got herself a cup of coffee and sat at the counter. He poured his own cup and joined her.

They sat in silence for a moment when Ann decided to check in on Misa. In the back of her mind Ann felt that Misa would probably be the easiest person to exploit if it came to Alexander blackmailing her or trying to force her to give herself up. The fact that Misa was usually around Maroni made her feel slightly better. Although Ann and Maroni hadn't necessarily seen eye to eye on a few things, she knew that Maroni was perfectly capable of taking care of himself and of Misa, and he could be ruthless when it was necessary. But she was still concerned.

Ann pulled out her cell phone and dialed Misa's number. After only three rings Misa answered. "Hey, just checking in on you. Is everything going okay?" Ann asked. "Everything's fine. Things are starting to back up with paper work though. And R&D has a few projects for you to overlook."

Ann was taken aback for a moment. "I meant with you Misa, not the company." Ann laughed. "Oh, well I'm good. Sal is picking me up for lunch. Are you coming in today?" She asked. "Yeah, I'll be in after lunch. Kinda getting a late start today." Ann told her. "Oooh. Have a late night?" Misa asked in a swoony voice. Ann rolled her eyes. "Not like that." She replied a bit coldly. "Don't ya wanna talk about it? You should tell me how he kisses." Misa told her. Ann had been in the middle of taking a drink of her coffee and she nearly choked on it at the surprise of Misa's question. She could hear Misa laughing on the other side as she tried to catch her breath. "I wouldn't know!" Ann yelled once she had her fit of sputtering under control. "Don't lie! I know you've kissed him. And I know you've done it since you got home!" Misa told her. Ann's face turned red both out of anger and embarrassment. Without another word she pushed the end button on her phone, ending the conversation.

"What was that about?" Bruce asked next to her. She turned to see he had a smug smile on his face. He already knew 'exactly' what it was about. So she turned back to her coffee and ignored his question. She didn't feel like playing the guessing game.

"C'mon. Is kissing me really that bad?" He asked playfully. She took a sip of her coffee. "It's not the kissing. It's what it means that bugs me." She told him. "So you 'do' like kissing me." It wasn't a question. Once again, Ann ignored him. It was silent a few moments. "So why does it bother you?" He asked. "I don't know." She told him. "Your not 'with' him anymore, are you?" He asked. She ground her teeth in annoyance. She didn't like the situation she was in between the two of them, and she liked talking about it even less. "Not officially." She told him then sipped at her coffee. "So what's the problem?" He asked. She downed the rest of her coffee. "I'm going to work early." She told him as she stood. He paused for a moment before smoothly letting it go. "Let's go to lunch first. I'm sure your hungry." He replied, ignoring her rudeness. She sighed. "Okay."

After lunch Ann and Bruce headed to Nightshade. Upon reaching her office Ann discovered that Misa was out to lunch and also that there was a stack of paper work neatly stacked on her desk. Sighing she walked to sit at her desk and began scanning through the papers while Bruce reclined on the couch to watch the news.

Ann grew tired of the paperwork very quickly. Luckily she had managed to avoid the standard business meeting. She had, on occasion, met with representatives from partner companies. Several times, she discovered early on, her father had combined his resources and research with other companies to create several lines of products. Most of them had to do with compounding chemicals and advanced weaponry components, but quite a few of them involved advances in medical equipment.

Misa had long since returned from lunch with a smile on her face. Her bubbly and romantic mood spilled over into the room as she happily hummed while typing up reports and notices on her computer. Apparently she had completely forgotten about how Ann had rudely hung up on her earlier. By now Ann was nearing the end of her paperwork. It was now close to 3:00pm. Ann decided to take a break. She opened her computer and logged in. First she reviewed the stocks, then she began listlessly flipping through web pages out of boredom.

Suddenly she had an idea. She remembered wishing for a motorcycle the night before. It would certainly come in handy, and it would make a quick getaway easy if she needed one. Not to mention she could take it into tight spaces where cars couldn't go, and with a helmet on no one would be able to identify her unless she took it off. She briefly considered what she may look like on a slick streamline sports bike decked out in leather with a black helmet and a katana on her back. She smirked to herself.

I think I like this idea.

**Fast! Gotta get one.**

You have such a one track mind.

Bruce must have noticed her sudden excitement. He got up and walked over to stand beside her looking at the webpage. "Motorcycles?" He asked. Her smile broadened. "I've been considering a change in transportation." She told him. "Ducati is a really good brand." He commented. The Ducati page happened to be the one she was on. "I don't think a Ducati is for you though." He said. She frowned. "Why not?" She protested. "You need something a bit smaller for a started bike." He told her.

**Smaller means slower!**

Oh, shut up.

"Smaller is slower." She repeated stupidly. He glanced down at her. "Smaller is also safer, especially for someone with no motorcycle experience. Not to mention your rather short." He told her. She glared at him. "I am not short." She said angrily. He sighed. "Stubborn." He muttered leaning over her to click a few times on the computer.

"How tall are you?" He asked. "Um, about 5'4". Why does it matter?" She asked. "Here." He pointed to a long list underneath the picture of a motorcycle. "This is the smallest bike Ducati currently makes. It's a 696 Monster. See here-" he pointed again. "- that is how high the seat is. 30 inches." He told her.

She stared at the screen then looked back at him. "And?" She asked. He sighed. "At 5'4" you leg length is probably close to 32 inches when your standing. When your sitting on the bike you have to be able to easily touch the ground so you can hold it up when its not moving." He explained. She stared at him. "The height is 30 inches and my legs are 32 inches." She pointed out. "When your sitting your butt is closer to the ground. On that bike, you might be able to touch with your toes." He told her. Her eyes narrowed. "Smart ass." She mumbled. He laughed. "I just know what I'm doing." He said. "Alright then. What do you suggest?" She asked.

For the next hour he took her to several different websites and they discussed it. By then she established that he must have a motorcycle or two of his own. She really liked the Suzuki Hyabusa, but Bruce insisted that even a 600cc was too big for a beginner. He explained that a 600cc was heavier, therefore harder to hold up. He said she should find a 250cc to begin with. He insisted that maybe in the future she could work up to a 600. But she should start with a 250. "I still want something bigger. I don't think a 250 will go fast enough." She complained. He laughed. They were currently on Kawasaki's website. He clicked a few times. "This is a Kawasaki Ninja 250. It can run 109mph strait from the factory. There have been reports of them even going as fast as 115 in special cases where people have modded them." Bruce told her. Her eyes widened a bit.

Is 'that' fast enough for you?

Eh, it'll work.

Ann mentally rolled her eyes. "Not that you'll ever go 'that' fast. 'Right'?" He said a bit harshly. "Of course not! I would never go that fast." She said sarcastically. "I'm serious. You could be seriously injured if your not careful. Other cars don't always see motorcycles. Over 80% of motorcycle accidents are fatal to the driver. More than two thirds of motorcycle accidents involving other cars were because someone else didn't see the motorcycle." He told her. She arched an eyebrow.

What, does he teach classes on this stuff or something? How does he know all this?

**Batman**.

Oh that's right!

She was suddenly reminded of when Batman had caused the semi truck to flip end over end. He had been on a motorcycle. A strange hi tech motorcycle. But it was still a motorcycle. She glared up at him. He glanced down at her with a confused look. "What?" He asked in a slightly concerned voice. She reached out and hit him in the arm. He flinched back out of surprise. "What the-" She cut him off as she stood.

"You ass hole! I was in the back of that damn semi! I'll have you know that it wasn't too pleasant!" She told him angrily. Misa poked her head around the corned at the sound of her yells. It took a moment before Bruce's confusion melted away into a look of surprise.

"Oh….. Um, sorry?" He said. She crossed her arms. "You should have more consideration for people. I was sore for almost a week because of that. And I was nearly smashed by a crate." She informed him. "Hate to say this, but that's kinda what you get for being in the back of a semi full of people trying to kill me." He replied. Misa gasped. "You were actually in that thing when it flipped? I knew you were there, but you were IN it?" She asked from the door way. Ann sighed and tilted her head to glare at the ceiling. "Never mind, it doesn't matter." Ann said to both of them, grateful that Misa had obviously overlooked the part about Bruce causing it.

Misa walked over to the two of them. With a glance at the screen of the computer her eyes widened. "Your not thinking about getting a motorcycle are you?" She asked. Ann glanced at her. "Yeah." She said slowly. "What's wrong with you? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Didn't you know that 80% of motorcycle accidents are fatal?" She exclaimed. Ann's jaw dropped slightly. "Why the hell would you even know something like that? Your both paranoid beyond all belief." Ann told both of them. "I can see how Bruce would know. But you? What, do you just randomly look up injury statistics so you can throw them in my face when I do something reckless?" Ann asked. Bruce smirked slightly trying to contain a laugh. "I just like being prepared." She said in an offended voice.

"Anyways, the only way to know for sure what your body is suited for and what you'll like is to go to a dealer and look at a few." Bruce told her. "I can't test drive them?" She asked. "Do you have a motorcycle license?" He asked. A small pout began to form on her lower lip. "No."

He smiled a bit sadly for her. "Well then you'll have to get one before you can do anything but look." He told her. "Most dealers won't even consider selling a bike to you unless you have one." She suddenly felt a mixture of sad and angry at the same time. "Well, how the hell am I going to get a license without a motorcycle? I have to take a driving test, right? And I can't get a bike until I pass the test. It's a conspiracy!" She yelled in annoyance. "The idea is for you to have to borrow one from an experienced rider. So you get taught how to drive one." He told her. He then smiled and reached out to take her by the wrist. "C'mon." He said and pulled her towards the door.

"Jesus. Your not really going to do this are you? Please reconsider! It's very dangerous." Misa begged as Bruce dragged her towards the door. Her plea fell on deaf ears. They were already gone.

Bruce seemed excited in the car. Ann couldn't imagine why. She figured he was taking her to motorcycle dealers for her to look. She didn't see the point if she couldn't buy one. So she was understandably surprised when he pulled up at his mansion. But instead of stopping he followed the curve around then turned onto a small path that lead around to the back of the huge building. Around the back of the mansion her pulled up to a rather large looking garage at the edge of a huge clearing. To their right and slightly behind them Ann could see a clear glass room that she was guessing contained a pool area. In the open area there was a very pretty garden with a stone walkway. Ann resolved to come back to have a look around as she got out of Bruce's car and followed him to the garage door.

He unlocked a pad lock on the side of the door then pulled open a latch. He then bent and grabbed the handle of the old looking garage door and lifted to slide the door up. Ann peered inside the dark building trying to get a view as she waited a bit anxiously. Bruce walked inside and flipped a switch on the wall. The lights of the building flickered on to reveal a vast collection of cars and, to Ann's delight, motorcycles. Her eyes lit up in excitement. Bruce walked back to her. "Most of these were my fathers." He told her.

Close to the entrance she spotted a black 1971 Corvette Stingray. With a small smile she slowly walked over to it. For a moment she stood admiring the car then slowly walked around it letting her finger tips lightly touch the car. "It's beautiful." She told him as she turned to give him a smile. He was a lot closer to her than she had though. He smiled back at her. "I thought you'd like it." He told her. She didn't even bother looking at the rest of the cars. Bruce let her look at the car awhile longer before he walked to a small metal cabinet hanging on the wall. He opened it to reveal keys hanging on hooks throughout the whole cabinet. He shuffled through them for a moment before finding the one he was looking for. Ann immediately got excited.

Omg! He's going to start it!

But instead he took her by the hand and led her away from the car. A bit disappointed she followed him to the other side of the garage where the motorcycles were. "Here's what I wanted to show you." He told her as he approached a motorcycle.

It was a 250 Honda Rebel. "This was my first bike." He told her. She smiled. The bike looked a bit old. It was black with the Rebel decal on the sides of the gas tank. There was a lot of chrome on the body of the bike. All in all it was a beautiful and deadly looking bike, but simple at the same time. Ann could picture Bruce riding something like that. A sports bike just didn't seem to fit him very well. "It's nice." She told him. He smiled and walked past it to another bike closer to the door. "This is the most recent one I got. I don't really have time to drive it anymore." He told her. A sad look spread across her face. He threw his leg over the bike and comfortably sat down on it. A pair of sunglasses were sitting on the gas tank. Bruce picked them up and put them on his head. The bike had the Ducati name brand on the side of the tank. "What kind of bike is that?" She asked. "It's a Ducati Multistrada 1200 Super Sport." He told her. A second later he put the key in the ignition and then flicked a small red switch on the right handlebar. He then pulled back a small lever on the left handle bar and then pushed a red button below it. As soon as he pushed the button the bike roared to life. It was deafening in the enclosed space of the garage. After a moment he slowly pushed the small lever and the rhythm of the bike slowed a bit.

She watched as he pulled back the throttle and the bike roared again for a moment until he released it. "You might want to braid your hair." He told her. She frowned. "What for?" She asked. He smirked. "Cause I'm taking you for a ride." He told her. Excitement shot through her again and she quickly braided her hair in a loose braid and then tied it off with one of the hair bands she kept on her wrist. Bruce reached behind him and flipped down two foot pedals on either side of the bike so she would have a place to put her feet. "Get on." He told her. She smiled and then threw her leg over the bike to sit behind him.

Ann pulled her feet up onto the small foot pedals. She already knew to avoid the exhaust, as it could burn strait through clothes after the engine had been running for too long. That was common sense, but other than that, she didn't have any knowledge of motorcycles at all. She had always had a curiosity about them but never really had the time to think about owning one. "You might want to hold on." He told her. She lightly placed her hands on his shoulders in response. She felt more than heard his sigh before he reached back with both hands and grabbed her behind the knees to pull her forward so that he was basically sitting right between her legs. He then put her arms around his waist. But now her face was slightly red, but she reminded herself that it was probably so she wouldn't fall off.

She felt slightly childish as a giddy feeling came over her when the bike began to ease forward and slowly picked up speed as he guided it around his car and back towards the front of his mansion. Once he turned out onto the road he opened up the throttle and she was thrown backwards. If she hadn't been holding onto his waist, she was sure she'd have been thrown off. She was nearly positive that the front tire had come off the ground.

She couldn't tell how fast they were going, but it felt like they were going at least 100mph. She lifted her head to peek over his shoulder and was assailed by a heavy gust of wind. Struggling to keep her eyes open she was forced to squint she could see. Now she knew what the sunglasses had been for.

After a good ten minutes she had begun to lay her head on his back so she could watch the scenery go by from the side comfortably. It wasn't too much longer when she could feel him slowing down quite a bit. She looked up over his shoulder again to see that they were coming into town and he was slowing down to match the new speed limit. At the easier and slower speed she was free to stretch and lean back to look around as they drove. She happily rolled her shoulders then leaned her elbows and forearms against his back.

The ride he took her on was over too soon for her and she felt almost depressed as he pulled back around the back of the mansion. They had stopped by the DMV and picked up a handbook full of basic driving safety bull crap that would be on a written test she would have to take. After passing that she was free to take the driving test. She had gotten a brief chance to flip through it at the DMV. It was textbook stuff that was mostly common sense. There were a few stupid questions about how alcohol could impair your ability to drive safely. It also listed the same statistics that both Bruce and Misa had recited earlier that day. While there she had also scheduled herself to take the written test a week later.

Ann hopped off the back of Bruce's bike as he killed the engine and she once again stretched. "Well, ready to try it?" He asked as she began flipping through the book again. "Huh?" She asked dumbly looking up at him from the book. He motioned for her to follow him. She followed him to revisit the Honda Rebel. She glanced at him with a confused look on her face when he handed her a set of keys.

"Get on it." He told her. She was slightly taken aback. She had expected him to show off anything that they were both interested in, but she didn't expect him to actually let her drive one of those interests. Especially since said interest was the first motorcycle he had ever owned.

"Go on." He urged with a smirk. She smiled slightly still in a bit of shock as she threw her leg over the motorcycle to sit. From there he instructed her on how to start the bike, explaining the procedure in order of what to do from first to last. She had to place the key in the ignition and turn it to the on position, then pull back the choke, flip the switch that opened the gas lines, then push the ignition button. Once the bike warmed up she could push the choke lever back down to let he bike run normally. After starting and turning off the bike several times on her own Bruce was satisfied that she got it. From there he instructed he on how to shift and she was surprised to discover that it was a lot like a standard car only slightly different. For one, there was no stick shift. Instead of pushing a clutch pedal to shift she pulled a lever attached to the left handle bar. Instead of a stick there was a small rubber padded lever in front of the left foot rest. To take it from neutral to first she would hold the clutch and then push down on the lever with her foot. From there once the bike got to the right RPMs she would need to hold the clutch and then pull up on the lever with her toes to up shift. To downshift she would clutch then push the lever down. And once the bike was not moving she would clutch and then pull up on the lever again.

After Ann recited it to him he told her to put it in first. So she did. Now, while she still held the clutch, he explained that to start moving she would have to slowly let off the clutch while pulling back on the accelerator slightly. So she did and received another giddy/childish feeling as the bike slowly began moving.

The majority of the afternoon was spent learning the motorcycle while Bruce expertly coached her as she drove around the open area next to the garage. By the time they decided to finally give it a rest Ashley had discovered them and had been sitting on a nearby bench watching.

After putting the motorcycle up Ann joined Ashley on the bench while Bruce closed the garage door. As he walked back towards them Ashley turned to her. "Hey can you take me to your apartment? I left a few things over there." The blonde explained. That's when it hit her. "Awe damn it. I rode with Bruce over here. My car's still at the company." Ann groaned. "No worries." Bruce told her which reminded her of Australia for some odd reason. "I'll take you back to get your car." He continued oblivious to her silent amusement. She smiled at him. At the moment she was almost floating on air at not only riding a motorcycle for the first time, but also getting to drive one.

The car ride was silent between Ann and Bruce despite his open affection and her good mood. Ashley being there was causing the quiet, as Bruce didn't want to speak about 'personal' issues with her there, and Ann didn't want to speak of them at all. So it was silent with the exception of Ashley singing along to some pop song on the radio.

After what seemed like forever they finally arrived at Nightshade and the God-awful music came to an end. Before leaving the mansion Ann had decided to bring her guns and knife, resolving to clean them once they were at her apartment. Also, there was a good chance of running into Joker so she felt better with her weapons. Shit always seemed to happen when she was around him.

Once they said goodbye to Bruce and were on their way to Ann's apartment her curiosity began to get the better of her. "So what'd you forget?" Ann asked after a few minutes of silence. "Oh, I didn't. I just wanted to see Dev." The blonde admitted. Ann rolled her eyes. "Figures." She mumbled. "Hey, you got your time with Bruce. I need time with Dev too." Ashley commented. Ann gaped. "My time with Bruce is NOT like that." Ann said firmly. "But you want it to be." Ashley replied. "No, I don't." Ann shot back. "Why can't you just admit that you like him?" Ashley asked half interested. "Because I don't!" Ann insisted. "Liar." She replied simply. "Okay. Okay. Maybe I like him a little. Maybe." Ann confessed. "Then what's your problem? You always go for your gut feeling. You like him, give him a chance. And I mean ACTUALLY give him a chance. Not make him think your interested when your minds on other stuff." Ashley told her. "Because of this situation I'm in. Okay? I don't know what to do. He's obviously crushing on me and Jak has this idea that I'm 'his'." Ann told her. "Me and Jak aren't official and honestly never really have been, but if I chose one then I'll eventually have to fight the other." Ann explained. Ashley listened to her explanation patiently. "Well, so far from what I've seen, Jak is possessive, dangerous, and chaotic. And Bruce is distant, too careful, and slightly paranoid and defensive. Both are passionate and they both obviously care for you in some way or another. Bruce shows it more openly and Jak doesn't. Bruce is willing to give you your space when you need it and Jak is adamant about watching you and being near you whenever possible. Jak LOVES head games and Bruce, well, doesn't."

"Okay, okay. You can stop comparing them already. It's nothing I haven been through a billion times in my head." Ann told her. "You wanna know what I think?" Ashley asked. Ann almost told her no. "I think you should just pick one." The blonde told her. Ann rolled her eyes. "I know. The problem is I can't." Ann told her. "I don't want to have to fight either of them knowing that eventually someone is going to lose. I don't want to pick sides. If I can keep them from fighting then at least they'll both be alive, even if I'm un happy." Ann explained. Ashley stared at her a moment. "Oh, so you DO care about them." Ashley stated. Ann sighed in annoyance. "Of course I do." Ann told her.

"But you just proved that you care enough about both of them to give up your own happiness. But you can't just keep skipping between them. Eventually your going to either have to pick one or separate yourself from both of them completely to avoid fighting one or the other." Ashley told her. Ann hadn't thought about it like that. Surely Joker would not accept that solution. If she tried separating herself from him he would undoubtedly try to find her and bring her back, willing or not. If she picked neither she would have to make sure he could not find her. She had no idea what Bruce would do. Would he try to find her too or would he sit and pout and then eventually get over her?

Her thoughts were cut short as they pulled up at her apartment. After parking her car in her usual spot in the covered parking lot Ann stepped out of her car and began walking towards the elevator when a slight scuffle from behind her caught her attention. At first she assumed that the blonde had tripped or something. But when she turned around she was confronted with the sight she had been so careful to avoid the last few days.

"I warned you to give yourself up. I told you that there would be consequences. But you had to force my hand." Alexander told her as he held a gun to Ashley's head. The blonds eyes were wide with fear as she realized what was happening. "Let her go. She's got nothing to do with this." Ann told the man before she began to reach for her gun. She quickly halted her actions, however, when she realized that he was not alone. At least a dozen people all wearing black came out from hiding throughout the parking lot. Most were brandishing machine gun pistols her way, so she was forced to remain still.

"Oh, but she does. See, this lovely young lady here is my insurance. So long as I have her you'll do anything I say." Alexander told her. Ashley's eyes filled with rage as she realized she was being used to blackmail her friend. She began wildly thrashing and kicking trying to escape from the grip Alexander's arms had on her neck and waist while calling him every fowl name under the sun. Alexander struggled to keep her under control. Most of the attention was on Ashley's struggle with Alexander. Ann took the opportunity to look for any way out of the situation that she could find.

"Keep your attention on her! She's the important one!" Joker's father yelled at the other men. But it was already too late. Ann had inched her way within range of an ignorant thug and at Alexander's yell she leapt at him with a hard punch to his face followed by a knee to the groin. The man collapsed in agony as Ann claimed his machine gun for herself and laid down fire on the thinly spread henchmen. Four fell to the ground in a matter of moments. Ann continued with a sweeping motion being careful to avoid Alexander and the trapped Ashley. Another henchman fell then there was sudden silence. The gun had jammed.

Cursing Ann threw away the gun and began to draw her own. She didn't have the chance as she was assailed by three men using their fists. Every one of them had a gun of some sort, but weren't using it to subdue her. That's when she realized that they wanted her alive and wouldn't shoot her. They didn't seem to have any trouble beating her up though. Ass she fought to keep all three men on one side of her so as not to be struck from behind another two joined in the confrontation. At this point she was starting to panic as the five men began to overwhelm her. She was able to land a decent blow here and there, but with five people she was constantly fending off their attacks and couldn't form any powerful attacks of her own. In the back of her mind she vaguely acknowledged Ashley yelling at the top of her lungs somewhere to her left. Suddenly a sharp pain hit her hard in the back of her head and she fell forward to the ground. Groaning she reached up for the hurt spot on her head. Her hand came back with blood. Glancing at the source she realized that she had forgotten about the one man other than Alexander and he had snuck up behind her. Ashley's screaming had intensified as a kick in the side sent Ann rolling across the pavement.

Ann's vision blurred slightly then refocused on Ashley's figure kicking and screaming in Alexander's arms. Rage flew through her as she was kicked in the side a second time and she felt an immensely sharp pain in her ribs. She struggled to stand only to be knocked back to the ground again. Her anger intensified as her thoughts turned more animalistic. Ashley was in danger and these idiots were keeping her from saving her. She began to stand again. And again a boot came her way. In an instant she had her knife in her hand. Somehow she had managed to grasp the man's ankle with her free hand as he kicked at her. The blade cut a deep gash across the man's upper leg, severing the main artery. He fell to the ground in agony holding his mutilated leg.

Shifting her attention from the dying man back to Alexander she began to stalk as best she could towards him, murder in her eyes. The rest of henchmen, as well as Alexander and Ashley, were nearly in shock at her sudden outburst of rage and aggression. Ashley, being smarter than she looked, took advantage of it and stomped as hard as she could on Alexander's foot. He yelped and during his second of distraction Ashley managed to break away from him and run towards Ann. Seconds before the blonde reached her friend a henchman broke out of his trance and made to hit her in the face. Ann leapt into action despite her injuries. She grabbed the blonde by the wrist as she sprang forward. Jerking Ashley behind her she brought up her knife to slash at the offenders throat. He stumbled back grasping his spraying neck.

"Enough!" Alexander shouted. He was clearly pissed off by now. He brought up a gun to point at the pair of women. The rest of the uninjured henchmen brandished guns of their own. Ann held her knife in front of her and kept Ashley to her back. But her ribs were paying the price and she held them with her free hand trying to stave off some of the pain. "Can you get away?" Ann whispered to Ashley. She could hear a slight wheeze in her voice and she was obviously out of breath.

"I don't think so." Ashley replied. The blonde had tears in her eyes. The ring of bad guys began to close in on them slowly. "Let her go." Ann told Alexander firmly. "You don't need her anymore to get me." She stated. "Are you offering to give yourself up for her freedom?" Alexander asked a bit surprised. "Ann no!" Ashley protested. "Shut up." Ann hissed at her. "Let her go and I'll come with you willingly." Ann told the man in front of her. He laughed. A long and hard laugh. She glared at him.

"My dear." He said when his laughter had subsided a bit. "Why should I, when I already have the both of you?" He laughed again. Ann growled. "I'll rip you apart. You smug self centered bastard! You'll have to kill me before you take her!" She told him. Ashley's shriek told her that an assailant had grabbed her by the wrist and was attempting to pry her away. Ann turned to defend her and was met with a fist to the face from a second man. Ashley was dragged away as Ann righted herself only to receive another blow to the back of her head and she found herself back on the ground. Once again she tried to stand but a boot came down to stomp on her back and sent her face crashing into the concrete below her. From there it turned into a pummeling as three of the assailants began kicking her over and over while another man helped tug Ashley back to Alexander and hold her there, despite her wild screaming, kicking, and punching.

Akira flashed warningly in her mind. She was beyond words with her alter ego at the moment. But she resolved to stay in control of Akira's explosive anger that rivaled her own. Ann was beginning to wonder why there was no one coming to help. Surely 'someone' had heard Ashley's screaming and the gunshots. If Joker was indeed in her apartment and the balcony door was open, surely he would be able to hear.

"Time to wrap this up." She heard Alexander say loudly. Ashley's screams were suddenly muffled and the henchmen let up from kicking her. Ann managed to raise her head to see that Ashley was being bound and gagged. Slowly she began to struggle to get up but was kicked back to the ground. "I'll make this simple." Alexander told her as he pulled his gun up to point at Ashley's head. "Give in now or she's dead." He told her as he pulled the hammer back on his revolver in a direct way that was strikingly similarly to Joker. Ann refused to give up and rose to her elbows and began to try to crawl their direction, intent on saving the blonde.

At last Ann lost her hold on Akira and her eyes shifted dangerously. Ann felt what she could only describe as a powerful explosion as fire shot out around her. Several of the men nearest her were knocked back and off their feet. With renewed energy, Akira pulled Ann's body to her feet and began stalking towards Alexander. Ann belatedly realized the energetic blast had come from within her

"Fucking bitch! I'll gut you where you stand and dance in your entrails!" Akira threatened. One of the henchmen pointed a pistol at her and fired. Akira jerked as a dart lodged in her arm. She snarled and jerked it out, renewing her attempt to get to Ashley and Alexander. Another dart hit her in the back as she began to run. Three more hit her and she stumbled.

Ann felt her consciousness wavering as her body rumbled to the ground at Alexander's feet.

Akira stubbornly tried to push herself back up. A final boot to her face ended it.

~Ashley's POV~

She was forced to watch as these people beat her friend nearly to death. She watched in horror as a pulse like explosion blasted everyone around Ann. Fire licked at her skin and danced around her body for a moment as she stood. A rage unlike any she had seen before had surfaced and Ann had screamed profanity at Alexander. Her voice was eerily scary. It was so much darker and heavier than her normal voice. And her eyes had spoken of things best left alone. Eyes that said that they had seen the horrors of the world. It caused her to shiver.

Ann had begun to stalk in their direction before the thugs finally managed to knock her out by  firing tranquilizers at her before kicking her in the back of the head when she fell. Ashley tried to scream again but it was muffled by the gag in her mouth. She watched as several of the pissed off henchmen that had just finished beating her picked her up and carried her closer to Alexander.

Suddenly she was roughly pulled backwards and dragged to a nearby black SUV. She was roughly thrown inside the car just before Ann's unconscious form joined her in the back open area. A man tied Ashley's feet together so that she was now completely bound. The man proceeded to tie Ann's hands and feet. Ashley noticed that he was more thorough with Ann's bindings than with Ashley's. At that moment the back door closed and the front opened to reveal Alexander who stepped into the car then took his seat. He glanced back at the blonde. "Oh, we can't have you awake, darling." He told her then smoothly pulled out his pistol and thumped her in the temple. Her vision dulled and she lolled her head to the side. "Now, was that so hard?" She heard him mumble to someone else before her consciousness failed her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to explain a little more about my motives here. From the start I've tried to base this story on how one little choice or difference can change the world dramatically. I've shown how Ann simply being there could alter events in such a way that instead of Joker getting hauled off to Prison or (more likely) Arkham he winds up getting away at the point where the movie ends. And because of her mere presence in my story I'm trying to show how Joker's behavior can change based off of what he believes is love. (Though he's too stubborn to admit it) I'm also trying to show how different circumstances could be if there was a woman between Joker and Bruce. With a mutual love interest between them it will inevitably either force them to work together or fight horribly and eventually kill each other. Because Bruce will never let criminals run free and Joker is too proud and stubborn to back down they will be 'destined to do this forever'. So this is my take on how she changes things.
> 
>  


	37. Chapter 37

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joker paced on the balcony of Ann's apartment. Somehow being near her favorite spot helped to calm him. It had been a whole day since he had found her bloody knife laying on the floor of the covered parking lot among a significant amount of blood. Worry flooded through him constantly, something that he wouldn't care to admit. Never mind that everyone already knew anyway.

At least, he thought, she had definitely put up a fight. All through the area were other, bigger pools of blood. Apparently the blonde Ashley had been captured as well. Devon had expressed worry before they had even known of their disappearance. Ashley had texted him explaining that Ann was bringing her to see him, meaning that they had been together. Devon's worry had lead to the discovery of Ann's car and her knife.

As much as it was killing him there was nothing he could do. He knew that the Knights had to have a safe house or two in the city. Even if it hadn't been there before, he knew his father. One would have been established by now. But even knowing that they were there made no difference if he didn't know where to look. He had been threatening and coercing people all day. No one seemed to know anything about the safe house, much less where it was.

Donivan and his friend had been less than helpful. Michael's pissed off older brother had been so adamant about keeping his mouth shut that he refused to talk even when Joker had threatened to murder his friend, which he had done eagerly. The bloodshed had helped settle his moods, but done little else.

Frustrated and angry he lashed out with his anger to punch the concrete wall on the end of her balcony. After pulling his hand away he noted that the concrete showed no signs of harm. His hand, however, was a different story.

Footsteps at the sliding door took his attention. A glimmer of hope, maybe? "Hey, I found someone who says he knows where she is." Duane told him from the door. "How did you even know she was missing?" Jacob commented from the couch. "Devon told me. Look you wanna see him or not?" Duane replied with frustration. Joker nodded but someone caught his attention when he stepped inside the room.

Bruce leaned against the wall near the door in the same spot that he had occupied several nights before.

Joker sighed. This would be a long day.

* * *

 

~Ann~

The headache pulsed in her brain over and over again, rousing her from her blank and silent sleep. Movement was pain. A weightless feeling came over her. She felt almost as if she were floating. Groaning she reached to hold her head only to find that her arms were being held back. Shock flooded through her as her eyes shot open.

The room was dark and dank. The wall across from her looked to be made of metal, as was the door. There was no furniture. She appeared to be alone in the room. Once conscious she was able to realize that she was bound at her wrists and ankles with what appeared to be a heavy set of hand cuffs. Her trench coat had been removed, as well as all of her weapons and her boots. The wristband of the hand cuffs were about three inches wide and made of metal that chaffed her skin. They were held together with a short but heavy chain. They reminded her of the manacles worn by prisoners in medieval times. Her ankles were bound by a similar setup, only with a slightly longer chain.

Akira was silent in her mind, meaning she was sleeping. Possibly recovering from her recent exposure.

She discovered that the floating sensation she felt was caused by being suspended from the ceiling by a heavy chain with a metal hook on the end that was currently 'hooked' to the chain of her manacles. Remembering the events of her capture she immediately began seeking a way to free herself. Below her was some sort of old looking wash tub filled with water that her feet were currently dangling in. She was in the middle of the room, away from any wall that she might gain leverage from. So walking up the wall using the chain that held her wasn't an option. She would have to climb strait up the chain itself. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but her hands were bound with only a minimal amount of moving room.

She pulled herself upward as far as she could with one hand while reaching with the other and slowly began to climb. It wasn't long before her hand slipped and she was right back where she started. After several attempts she eventually gave up on that idea. It was too tiring.

After swinging there a moment she came up with another idea. But before she could follow through with it there was a loud creaking noise from the door as it opened to reveal a tall but burly looking man wearing a brown knee length furry coat. He had short dirty blond hair and didn't look very smart. He reminded her of an Egor type of person. She snickered at the thought which brought her a glare from the man. Behind him was a shorter, less masculine, man with wild looking grey and black hair that curled around his face. This man was wearing what looked like a lab coat and a pair of wiry glasses perched on the end of his nose. He was dragging what looked to be a metal box with wheels and two thick wires protruding from it.

"Who are you people? Why am I being held here?" She asked in a loud and commanding voice. "It is not up to you to provide questions. Only answers." The blonde informed her as the shorter man dragged the box behind her somewhere.

"Fuck you. I answer to no one." Ann told him defiantly. The blonde smirked and began pacing to her right and closer to her. "You'll answer to me!" He suddenly yelled as he lunged at her and his fist smashed into the side of her face. She felt a bit of fresh blood leak from the corner of her mouth where he had busted her lip. Suddenly angry she lashed out kicking at him. He laughed as he backed out of her reach. She let out a frustrated yell.

"Now, on to business. I'll start simple. Just before you were rendered unconscious, there was a change in your personality. What was it?" He asked in a polite tone. "I saw your mother and got a bit disgusted." She replied in a sassy tone. He snarled and punched her in the stomach. Her ribs burned from the sudden movement and she coughed. "You hear voices from time to time, correct?" He asked. "Only ones that remind me of how ugly you are." She told him in an angry voice. He sighed and crossed his arms. "Looks like she's not going to cooperate. Let her have it." He told the short man.

A sudden and shocking pain coursed through her whole body, forcing her muscles to spasm and her back to arch as she opened her mouth to scream. Rational thought wasn't possible. After what seemed forever it stopped and her body collapsed to hang limply from the chain. After a moment she slowly raised her head as her body began to regain some functionality. She realized that she must have been shocked somehow. Then she remembered the metal box. Glancing down she was able to make out two clamps attached to the metal tub at her feet containing the water. Groaning she looked back up at the blonde. Her body was significantly weaker now.

This torture continued for several hours. After the first time she began pulling up her feet when she knew that she was about to be shocked. When she did this, however, the blonde would only punch her until her feet came into contact with the water. She was proud of the fact that she had not given into their demands. But by the time they finally given up and left her, her body was exhausted and she was on the verge of passing out. She had only managed to get them to leave by fainting unconsciousness.

She knew she couldn't let herself fall asleep. Ashley was in this hole somewhere as well, probably undergoing the same treatment as she currently was.

She tried desperately to make her body move. She began swinging back and forth as she had originally planned before she was interrupted. But her body was too exhausted. She realized that she was going to need her strength if she was ever going to get out of there. And even if she did manage to get off the hook, she still may well have to fight through a whole army of people to get out alive. She was going to need a lot of strength. So she finally gave into her body's desire to sleep, praying that Ashley was okay.

* * *

 

~Ashley's POV~

A sudden and sharp bucket of cold water to her face woke her from her slumber. Angry at the rudeness of her awakening she decided to promptly bitch out whom ever had pulled the horrible prank on her. And that's exactly what she did. Insults flew from her mouth as she began to try to beat whom ever was in her way. This abruptly stopped however when she found herself unable to move her arms or legs. Noticing her surroundings for the first time she realized she was in a wooden chair with her hands tied behind her back and her legs duck taped to the legs of the chair. It all came back to her at that point and she was suddenly in fear for her life as she looked up at the man whom had awoken her.

He stared down at her with an amused expression on his face. "Well now. Don't you have a mouth?" He asked sarcastically before leaning down close to her face. "I'm going to have fun with you."

After the first encounter Ann was never given any time to follow through with her escape ideas. She was never alone long enough for her to manage to get off the hook that held her. She did begin to notice that when she woke from sleeping she would be alone shortly before they returned. The torture continued as before. The blonde, whom still refused to give her his name, continuously came up with new ways of inflicting pain on her. At one point he had pierced her skin with fishing hooks. So far all their efforts had been useless. She had to give him bonus points for creativity though.

After the fish hook event, however, Alexander had shown up and severely griped at the blonde. Ann was guessing that he didn't want her dead until he knew whatever it was that he wanted to know. By now she had a reasonable understanding that it had something to do with Akira. Ann was beginning to wonder if her mother had a split personality also. Akira had awakened in her mind long ago. Ann wasn't sure how long she had been in the hole that she was in, but having Akira definitely proved useful.

Ann discovered that Akira knew how to do quite a few helpful things. The best of which was to help raise her pain tolerance. This was a very unique ability which Ann wished she would have shared long ago. Ann discovered that by focusing on something other than her pain she could ignore the majority of it if she concentrated hard enough. For example, when the pain of her broken ribs were bothering her she would simply put all of her attention on her toes or a finger. It was strange, but she actually thought that by doing this she felt more acutely in the area she was concentrating on.

Of course, this technique wouldn't work if her whole body was being shocked. This is where Akira came in handy yet again. Akira seemed to be able to draw most of that pain away by pulling at Ann's state of consciousness. Ann was beginning to pick up a few things from her. Through her instruction she was learning how to draw her own consciousness into herself. This left her aware of her surroundings but unable to feel anything at all. It was like her own mind was protecting her. She hadn't quite mastered this yet, as her concentration would slip after only remaining within herself for a minute or two. Akira also provided a conversational companion when she was left alone.

Akira had definitely learned a lot being inside Ann's mind for all those years. And Ann was grateful at this point. By now Ann already had a somewhat solid escape plan. Ann had already worked out how to get off the chain and hook and even out of her 'cell' if everything went as planned. The problem was finding enough time between being unconscious and being tortured to follow through with it.

Ann could tell that her lack of cooperation and her new found abilities greatly frustrated the blonde man, who found it infuriating. Even Alexander had begun showing up a lot since she began being more difficult to hurt. The only answers they could get from her were insults and laughs. Ann had discovered that laughing at their attempts was the best way to make herself feel better. She briefly wondered if Joker had gone through a similar experience.

Her efforts in concentration, despite the less amount of pain, still had its effects on her body. Though her mind was strong and she could get through the torture sessions easier, her body was still beaten, tired, and broken.

At this point Ann's main concern was Ashley, if she was even still alive.

* * *

 

~Ashley's POV~

It felt like she had been there for weeks. Both her body and mind were exhausted beyond the breaking point.

It seemed like she was either sleeping from exhaustion or being hurt. From what she could tell, she hadn't received any major injuries. She was guessing that they must still plan to use her against her friend. If help didn't come soon, all was lost. The door to her small room creaked open to reveal the figure of her agony. She groaned in annoyance.

* * *

 

~Ann's POV~

She figured it was now or never. Her captors had just left and she was still conscious.

Despite her broken and exhausted body she began rocking back and forth until she was swinging as high as she could. Then at the top of the swing she lifted her knees and then wrapped her legs around the chain. Every movement killed her. She was now upside down. Holding on tightly with her legs she was able to lift her hands free of the hook holding her there. She then dropped, ungracefully, to the floor. So much movement caused her ribs to scream at her in pain, telling her that she had been right in assuming that at least one was broken. When she felt of the affected area she counted three. It was possible that there were more.

She surveyed her surroundings grudgingly. The room was still as barren as it had been before, with the exception of the device that she had come to hate.

She dragged herself to the door and examined it. There was a built in lock which reminded her of an old fashioned one that required a skeleton key. She could actually see outside the door if she looked through the key hole.

She made her way back to the voltage box as planned. After unclamping one of the wires, and making sure the machine was indeed off, she began trying to rid the wire of the clamp and plastic insulation. By bending the thick wire back and forth over and over she was able to break it where it met the clamp. To get the insulation off she wound up biting at it until there was enough of it stripped away for her to grab a hold of it.

The wire was copper and made up of dozens of smaller wires twisted around each other. She was able to pry away one of these small wires to use as a lock pick.

Normally she wouldn't have hesitated to make a quick exit. But seeing as how she had no idea where she was or how many people she would have to go through she decided to fashion a weapon of some kind. Plus her tormentors had only just left, indication they wouldn't be back for awhile since they thought her unconscious.

She bent the thick wire again until it broke about a foot from the end. She left some of the plastic at the base to use as a grip. She then began pulling the outside layers away until the end was smaller than the base. After that she twisted the small wires so that they made somewhat of a spiral. This took maybe ten to twenty minutes of her time. She touched the end of it and decided that it was better than nothing.

Going back to the door she began working with the small wire to unlock the door.

She wouldn't have thought such a simple looking lock would have been so difficult to open. It took her awhile, but after at least ten minutes of manipulating the wire she managed to open the lock. Remembering that the door creaked loudly she slowly pushed it open.

She stood in a dark and dank hallway that nearly matched the interior of the room she had been in. The walls were the same steel colored metal. It seemed that there were only a few doors in the hall. After closing the door behind her she slowly made her way down the hall using the wall to help support herself. The chain connecting her feet made walking slightly difficult, but she was able to manage by taking small steps. When she rounded a corner and neared the end of the hall she came upon two doors on either side. One was silent and had been left slightly ajar. From the other she could hear the muffled sounds of a girl crying. After listening a moment she could hear the sounds of the blonde man cockily taunting her, and then the sound of Ashley's unmistakable cursing.

Anger once again flooded through her at the thought of the bastards torturing Ashley as they had her. But she forced herself to remain calm and in control. She was in no condition to be fighting at all, much less the imbecilic brute behind the door. Thinking quickly she slowly and quietly pushed open the other door that had been left ajar and then closed it behind her, making sure to leave it as it had been before.

The room was dark. The only light in the room was from the small crack in the door. Luckily it was unoccupied. Her only option was to sit quietly and wait for their captors to leave Ashley's room and, hopefully not come through the door that she was crouched behind.

She had almost dozed off three times now. She had been crouched by the door for at least a half hour and every second that ticked by was killing her. It took every ounce of her self control to keep herself from bursting through the door and attempting to murder all in the room that were hurting her friend. Out of boredom and necessity she had begun working to remove the manacles on her ankles. It had taken awhile, but she had managed to get one of them free. She unlocked the other in less time than the first now that she knew how to do it.

She was about to begin trying to free her hands when there was a sudden and loud explosion somewhere above her and the whole room shook. Ann was thrown back onto her butt. Moments later the two goons fled Ashley's room and headed the direction she had originally been heading.

A bit stunned and shocked Ann stood. She wasted no time. What ever was going on, it was their perfect chance. She made her way to the hall then threw open the door Ashley was behind.

She found the blond woman sitting in a wooden chair and tied up in the classic movie scene. Once Ann got a bit closer Ashley recognized her. "Oh my God! I'm so glad your ok! How did you get out?" Ashley cried happily. "Doesn't matter. We gotta go." Ann explained as she began untying the knots on Ashley's hands. After a minute her hands were free and they both worked at untying her feet. "They handcuffed you? Those look like some really strong handcuffs." Ashley commented as her feet came free. Ann moved to the door. "They had them on my feet too." Ann told her as she inspected the hall for any signs of people.

Minutes later and they were making their way through the hall towards where the men had disappeared. Almost immediately they were confronted with a dead end. But against the dead end wall was a ladder that went up to the ceiling. Ann couldn't see any kind of opening in the ceiling. She almost ignored it and assumed that they had missed a turn somewhere. But it was Ashley who immediately began climbing the ladder. "Hey. There's a trap door here." Ashley told her as she pushed on the ceiling. Ann was impressed. Ashley had probably just saved them another ten minutes of wandering around in the dark halls.

Ann followed Ashley up the ladder to discover that they had come through the floor under a large tapestry sort of rug. After a few moments of thrashing about they managed to get the rug away from the trap door.

Once out of the hole Ann looked around as the two women ducked next to a rather large stair case. There weren't any windows in the large room, so Ann was assuming that they were still underground. Now that they were out of the lower basement the sound of gun fire was loud and penetrating. Obviously the Knights were fighting with someone. Ann was hoping that it would be Joker or Bruce. But she highly doubted that. There would have been no way for them to track her here. They slowly and quietly began to make their way to the next floor, being cautious to avoid detection.

* * *

 

~Meanwhile~

They had managed to break past the mansions outer defenses and were now inside the large building that was housing the Knights. Joker still didn't trust the man that had long since disappeared into the dark of the area.

~ "I can find her faster." The character shrouded in black had told him. Joker seethed. "Fine." He raised his hand holding the pristine sword. "This is hers. Take it to her." He told him. It was probably the hardest thing he had ever done. No one had ever touched her sword but him. Batman took the sword and proceeded to vanish into the night.~

The people here were definitely putting up a fight. So this was most likely the right place. The other men were busy trying to break down a door with a life sized statue. Whoever was on the other side had obviously piled furniture against the door, hoping to keep the intruders out. The loud thump of the statue against the wood door was heard every five or so seconds.

Joker's henchmen had captured a group of girls and women that had obviously been serving as concubines and whores. They were all scantily clothed with huge bouncing tits. "What should we do with them boss?" A man asked. Joker knew what the real question had been in the man's voice. Spoils of war?

Disgusted with the man Joker walked over to talk to the women. He walked up to the most collected one that seemed the least scared. She was tall. Her hair was a mass of blonde curls that lightly bounced around her shoulders and framed her face. She was the only one not crying. "You worked willingly for the men in this mansion?" He asked her. "Some of us did." The blonde told him. Looking her up and down something shiny caught his attention. He grasped her wrist to bring it closer. There around her wrist was the bracelet he had given Ann. The words ~Never forget~ flooded his mind.

Furious he ripped the bracelet from the blonde's wrist causing her to scream in protest as her arm was nearly jerked out of socket. He ignored her as he ran his fingers over the smooth metal. His dangerous eyes darted back to her. "I take it 'you' worked willingly." He commented. The slight amount of fear she had shown disappeared again as she straitened proudly. "I'd rather get paid for what I do than have it taken anyway." She informed him. "Anyone who was a prisoner here is free to go." Joker told the other women who all scurried away happily. Joker turned back to the blonde. "Where is the girl that this belongs to?" He asked angrily. "Sweetie, I wouldn't know. I didn't take it from her, it was given to me." She informed him. "By who? Alexander?" He asked now more furious than he had been. She looked surprised that he knew her master's name, she nodded.

He growled. The bastard was screwing with him. Taunting him. He knew he would find the girls and notice the bracelet. That's why they had been in rooms so close to the main entrance.

"He gave me this too. I almost didn't take it. It's a bit to crude for me." She told him as she pulled at a cord around her neck, revealing the custom necklace made from a bullet that he had dug out of Ann's arm. His hand grasped the heavy metal and with a swift yank he broke the cord around her neck.

"Hold on to her." Joker told the man that had been guarding the girls. "She may be useful."

He walked away as he placed the two pieces of jewelry in his pocket. He then began helping his men trying to bust down the door.

* * *

 

~Ann's POV~

Ann and Ashley had traversed two floors now and so far no one had noticed them. By now the whole building was in chaos. There were people running wildly about, going all directions hoping to escape. The more calm people were the one's laying down fire on any opposition they encountered. This was obviously where the commotion and gunfire sounds were coming from. That meant that this was probably the ground level floor.

She could see that the majority of armed men were waiting patiently in the large room while everyone else was scattering behind them. Across the room from Ann and Ashley there was a staircase that led to a large open balcony that overlooked the rest of the room. There was a door near the middle of the balcony that had been piled with all the furniture in the room. A loud thumping noise could be heard over and over from the other side as someone tried to break the door open. Farther along the balcony there was another door that had been left wide open. Ann could see another set of stairs.

She frowned slightly. Surely someone other than her had noticed the flaw in this. By knowledge of basic architecture Ann knew that the walls of the stairway hall would most likely be thinner than the regular walls of the house. Outside walls were always the thickest with all the reinforcements and insulation. The inside walls were typically two thin sheets of sheetrock on either side of wood framework. Most of the time there would be a light insulation between the sheetrock. On the wall of the staircase, however, the walls would most definitely be thinner.

After explaining this to Ashley they began trying to figure out how to get up there. Ann could see a second door at the top of the closed in staircase. The plan was to get to the staircase and close the doors. Then Ann planned to kick at the wall until there was a hole big enough to crawl through. And if it didn't work out like she planned they could always continue up to the next floor to look for another way out. So far everything other than the basements looked expensive and lavish. Surely there would be some sort of trellis on the outside that they could climb down.

"Hey! You! Your that girl." One of the armed men stated walking towards them. He must have noticed them standing in the back corner of the room. Ashley spoke up before Ann had time to think of a way out of it. "Alexander told me that if anything like this should happen that we should head to the upper levels." Ashley told him in a cocky voice. At seeing Ashley's direction, Ann dropped her make shift knife behind her, hoping to pick it up again later. "I don't know you, but 'she' is a prisoner." The man said pointing at Ann. "Well of course she is." Ashley said as she put her hands on her hips. "I'm supposed to escort her to a higher level away from the fighting so that she doesn't have a chance to escape." Ashley informed him as she jerked on the chain connecting Ann's manacles so that she was jerked forward.

The man looked a bit skeptical. "I don't remember seeing you around here." The man told him. "Well I'm not surprised. I'm usually in the basements. I make sure that the prisoners are fed and on occasion I help with the more 'morbid' tasks. My name's Alice." Ashley told him. At the mention of 'morbid details' the man seemed to believe her. "Well where'd you get those bruises?" The man asked her. All in all she didn't look nearly as beat up as Ann did. "This bitch doesn't like doing what she's told. Don't worry, she paid for it." Ashley informed him. Ann sneered. She didn't like being forced into a submissive position, even if it was faked.

"So are you going to get me to the higher levels or not?" Ashley asked the man in a commanding voice. "Oh, of course. Follow me." He told her then walked over to a group of men who were waiting anxiously. "Help Alice get the prisoner to the higher levels. Now, move!" The man ordered the small group of five. At that Ashley and Ann were surrounded by the five men. The leader grabbed Ann's chain and dragged her forward towards the stairs.

Once on the stairs she could hear more of what was going on behind the door. By now the door had cracked open a bit and she could faintly see people ramming at the door. She could also hear a faintly familiar person yelling at them to go faster.

"Jak?" She said almost not believing it. "Ann?" She heard him yell from the other side. "Jak!" She screamed as she was both pushed and pulled past the door. She fought against them but they ultimately won. Ashley stayed in control, despite their close call to freedom as she led the group up the enclosed stairway. Ann however wasn't acting so rationally. She kicked wildly at the wall of the stairway as they pushed her along. She managed to kick a hole the size of her foot before they got sick of messing with her and simply picked her up by the armpits and carried her the rest of the way up.

Once at the next floor Ann had calmed down a bit. "Okay, thanks guys. I can take it from here." Ashley told them with a wink. "No ma'am. Were going to escort you all the way." The guy in charge told her. "She's acting way too violent for you to handle alone." He informed her. Ann fumed. She was dying to teach this guy a lesson.

Great, looks like were finding a different way.

* * *

 

~Joker's POV~

He had abandoned breaking down the door once he had heard her screaming and kicking behind the wall on the far side of the room. When a small hole appeared he began tearing at the wall to get through. Jacob was immediately by his side helping.

* * *

 

~Ann's POV~

She was being pushed roughly down the hallway towards what she assumed to be another staircase. She was so tired. She wanted to collapse. She even thought about it. That is, until she heard gunfire from behind them and a man beside her dropped to the floor. Both Ann and Ashley were suddenly pushed inside a door before she could turn around. The leader of the escort group followed them and quickly shut the door. Ann looked around the room. It was a standard looking bedroom. A bed on the left wall, vanity on the right, and a window on the wall across from them. It was obviously a girl's room because of the vanity. That's when Ann spotted her weapon. In front of the small white vanity there was a matching small white chair.

The man turned around just in time to see her pick up the vanity chair. He barely had time to yell a 'look out' warning to Ashley before he was smashed in the face. Immediately Ann followed up her attack with a quick stomp to the man's face, which knocked him unconscious.

"Awe, too bad. I kinda liked him." Ashley commented. Ann rolled her eyes. "Well you can forget about it. I don't think he'll be too happy when he wakes up." Ann told her. Gun fire was still loud from the other side of the door. Going to the window she glanced down. They were on the third floor. Ann groaned. She had been assuming that they were on ground level, but the windowless rooms she had been in had deceived her. In a normal situation she would have jumped out the window to roll safely on the ground, with maybe some scrapes and bruises, or possibly a broken bone. Although a broken bone wouldn't be pleasant, she would gladly trade it for her freedom. But this wasn't possible here. Not only did she have Ashley to think of, who would probably refuse to jump, but she was also bound and beaten up pretty badly. No, the window was not an option.

Turning back to the door she cracked it open. The group that had escorted them was at the corner of the hall to their left. Every so often one of them would fire around the corner and the gun shots would then be returned by Joker and his men.

Feeling that they were significantly occupied, Ann and Ashley slipped out of the room and began to make their way down the hall. "Hey, wait a minute!" One of the men yelled at them as he caught up to them. Where are you going?" He asked Ashley. "I have to get her away from her friends. She could escape." Ashley explained. "All the more reason to stay with us! Where is the captain?" He yelled as he grabbed Ann by the chain between her wrists. Ann promptly kicked him hard in the knee cap and he shouted in pain. "Run Ash!" Ann yelled at the blonde when the man held onto her tighter and another came to assist him.

The blonde hesitated at first but when a third man joined the two already struggling with Ann she bolted. Ann looked up just in time to see her run around the corner.

"The captain's unconscious." One man declared. "We'll take her to the boss. She'd be safest there." Another mumbled. Ann was still fighting them but in her weakened state there wasn't much she could do. One man stayed behind to lay down fire and keep Joker from following as the others dragged her away still kicking and screaming.

After traversing across that floor of the building and going up another set of stairs Ann was beginning to get annoyed by the manhandling. She had already gotten slapped for biting a chunk out of one guys shoulder. Not to mention what happened when she kicked one in the gonads.

After entering another hallway the lights suddenly flickered out and it was dark. There was a loud thump behind them. She whirled around, as did the others. Silence.

"Jimmy?" One of the men called after a few moments. Jimmy didn't answer. Ann could hear her 'escorts' slowly backing down the hallway. She decided she would follow suit. Whatever or whoever took Jimmy was quiet. Very quiet. She hadn't heard a thing except the initial 'thump'. No breathing, no footsteps, nothing. And it was nearly impossible to see anything in the dark hallway. After a few moments of silence Ann suddenly realized that this could be the perfect chance to get away. "He probably just got lost." A man to her left stated. "Yeah, it was nothing." Another declared.

There was suddenly a muffled cry to her right then another thump noise. Backing away suddenly she nearly ran into the wall. "Wha- what was that?" The man to her left said, clearly afraid. "That was the sound of someone strangling your friend." Ann told him quietly as she backed farther down the hall. She could hear the other three men doing the same. A short yell of surprise came from in front of her. It was followed by pitiful begging from the man who had just been attacked. The other two men near her jumped forward to help their friend. Ann, however, promptly took off in the opposite direction.

"Hey, get back here- oof-" She heard behind her. It was still very dark in the hallway. But she remembered that it went on for awhile before turning to the right, so she continued at her speed, but she let the tips of her fingers trail against the wall to her right. That way she would have time to slow down when the turn came.

She made the turn no problem. She could still hear men screaming behind her as she continued down the dark hallway. Suddenly she crashed into someone and they both fell to the floor. "Owe." She heard beside her. "Ash?" Ann whispered. "Yeah. Damn you hit me hard. Were you running?" She asked. "We have to get outta the dark. Come on." Ann told her as she stood. She heard Ashley stand beside her. "Wait, why are you going this way? That just leads up more stairs. Last I checked we needed outta here." Ashley complained. "You don't wanna go back that way." Ann told her.

She was beginning to lose what little strength she had left, and she was definitely beginning to hate the cuffs around her wrists. She noticed that she seemed to have more strength when she was coursing with adrenaline. At the moment she felt exhausted, like she hadn't slept in days. But she had such energy when she had run in the halls, and when she had caught a glimpse of Joker. She continued on, using the wall to help steady herself as she silently wondered how she could go about tapping into that reserve of energy.

"Aren't there any windows in the God forsaken place?" Ann mumbled to herself when she tripped over an unknown object. "I've only seen the one in the bedroom." Ashley replied quietly. That's when Ann spotted a beam of light coming from up ahead. Ashley had seen it too and they both made their way eagerly towards it.

Ann found that it was the staircase that Ashley had mentioned. She could barely see but once her eyes adjusted to the light she made her way towards the door at the top, seeing no other opinion. She certainly wasn't going to sit in a corner somewhere and wait for the lights to come back on.

Once at the top of the stairs they found themselves in a rather large room that was literally nothing but windows, aside from one rather large wall across from them. Ann nearly seethed at the irony.

This is why there were no damn windows. There all the bloody hell up here.

**It's a bit tacky.**

It was beginning to seem that they only way out of there would be to descend back down. But something inside Ann didn't want to go about in the dark a second time. Especially after their 'ex- escorts' run in with what was in it.

It seemed as though she wouldn't be given a choice. Across the room a door opened and Ann could hear a man say a 'get em' as a pair of mean looking Rottweiler's came barreling in their direction. Ann promptly shoved Ashley back through the door they had come through before leaping behind it herself and slamming it shut. A moment later she heard scratching and pounding from the other side.

"Jesus. What an ass." Ashley commented. "Let's move. We need to get as far away from those dogs as possible before their owner opens that damn door." Ann told her. With that they headed back down the stair case. Instead of going back the way they had come, though, they decided to go the other way. It was mostly out of Ann's insistence, but at least it would be something different. After awhile of wandering and turning blindly they came upon another stairway. Making their way to it Ann discovered it was the staircase that led down to the level below them.

Frowning, Ann wondered what had happened to Joker. She knew that he had been following her. It made her question if she should continue downward and look for an exit or stay in the area in case he was on the same level as her. Ultimately they decided to continue downward, because of the dogs. Ann knew that if the dogs managed to get loose in this place it would be a nightmare. Never mind fighting in the dark. Being attacked by dogs in the light of day was a daunting enough idea. Let alone in the pitch black halls.

Ann had been hoping that the higher level had been the only one to lose power. She was disappointed upon leaving the fourth floor and returning to the third. It was just as black as before. Annoyed, she made sure to close the door to the stairway, hoping it might help keep the dogs contained.

She could hear the distant sound of gunfire that got louder the farther they went. At this point she just wanted to find someone, ANYONE, in the darkness that surrounded them. It wasn't long before she had her wish. Once they finally found the stairs that led downwards the gunfire was prominent. Ann noticed light at the bottom of the stairs behind the closed door. For a moment Ann almost went to the light instead of through the hole in the wall of the stair way.

Ultimately her common sense won over her and, despite Ashley's insistence on finding Devon, they went through the hole. Once through to the other side Ann could see that Joker's men had abandoned the large statue that they had been using to destroy the large but solid door. Around the corner Ann could see the remains of what used to be an outer wall made of thick cement. The wall had been blasted away with what was most likely Joker's handy work.

Excited for the first time in ages, Ann ran towards the opening and Ashley followed. After scrambling over the debris of what used to be the wall, Ann and her blonde friend were outside.

They stood in a large courtyard that was surrounded by the huge building on three sides. Annoyed by this, she figured that on the other side of the building the ground around it must have been lower. She had seen similar annoyances in hospitals before. Ann noted that the building wrapped around the court yard. On the fourth side was a wall made of what appeared to be stone that had wrought iron fencing on top of it. Instead of a gate a hole had been blasted into the side of it as well.

A screech from Ashley caused Ann to whirl around. Ashley was standing in the hole in the wall of the building. And behind her, holding a knife to her throat was the blonde man. Behind him stood a very angry looking Alexander.

Ann's anger spiked to a dangerous level. "You spineless, gutless, self obsessed, ugly, toad! I'm going to cut off your fucking head and use your skull as a friggin beer mug!" She yelled angrily.

"Such a mouth on you, my dear." Alexander said smoothly as he stepped forward. Ann was so angry that she hadn't noticed the rapier hanging at his side until he had drawn the deadly weapon. A slight flash of fear shot through her for the first time. She knew absolutely nothing about fighting an English sword style. If he was any good with the weapon, which he most surely was, then she was at a serious disadvantage on multiple levels.

"I'm tired of waiting for my associates to break you. I'll do it myself." He told her as he discarded his over coat and strode her way. Ann did the only thing she knew to do. She sank into a fighting stance.

Of course she had seen the use of rapiers in movies, such as The Three Musketeers. But fighting a man wielding one, when you yourself had no such weapon, was a bit daunting. But she was determined.

Akira was nudging her, wanting control. Insisting upon it. Ann was having a hard enough time dealing with her, let alone dealing with him.

This is my fight!

**I disagree. He kidnap's me and Ash and you say it's your fight? Hardly.**

"Your going to learn your place, little fox." He told her as he neared fighting distance. He swiped at her head with his sword. He was fast. Ann barely had time to dodge his attack. She needed to find a weapon. A stick, a chair, a rock, anything. Anything would help.

He pressed his attack, not giving her room to breath as he swiped at her again and again.

Ashley watched in horror as he managed to cut her across the arm with the tip of his blade. His form was speechless and impeccably perfect. It looked like he had been doing it for years. Ashley was reminded of a character of a popular game called Soul Caliber named Raphael. He had that deathly accuracy that Ashley had only ever heard of. And she was very worried for her friend. Suddenly she was stricken with an idea. It couldn't hurt.

"Jak! Help! Help, Jak!" Ashley suddenly screamed over and over as loud as she could. The blond man pressed the knife to her throat, warning her to remain silent. But she still continued, even as a small line of blood ran down her neck.

Ashley's sudden out burst had surprised both Ann and her opponent. Ann took the opportunity it gave her and struck Alexander hard in the side of his head with her heel. The kick cost her as her exhausted body protested and she lost her balance. Falling to the ground she noted that her opponent had fallen to the ground as well. But he was far from unconscious. He was already struggling to his feet. Ann forced herself to stand but she was too late. She received a hit to the face with the handle of his sword and she fell back to the ground.

**You can not win with this man! Let me fight!**

You will lose control. I can do just as much as you can.

**I have fought this style before!**

Confusion shot through her.

What?

A kick to her side sent her reeling across the pavement and into the base of a stone sculpture. She used the statue to pull herself to her feet. Alexander was a distance away, waiting for her.

"Show me your beast. Unleash your anger!" He yelled as he advanced on her again. Ann briefly noticed that Ashley's screaming had stopped as she ducked under a blow from his sword and she rolled away from him.

Suddenly Ann vaguely saw an object flying strait for her from the corner of her vision. Reacting quickly she caught the object. At that point she was certain she had gone mad. In her fist she held her katana. Looking to her right she noted that Ashley was being used as a human shield as the blonde was being back up by none other than the Batman. Ashley's insistent calling must have drawn him to their location.

"Sonofabitch." Ann mumbled as she stood and drew her blade reverently and tossed the scabbard to the side.

"Now we shall see who will be breaking who." Ann told Alexander, who looked as stoic as ever. He was once again waiting a distance away with his rapier relaxed at his side. A stance that looked rather intimidating by itself.

**Even with your katana, you won't be able to beat him. You are inexperienced and tired.**

Well then I can sure as hell hurt the bastard.

Ann circled the man, hoping to put him on edge. Alexander refused to even move, even when she crossed behind him. But she could see his eyes following her movement. Ann knew better than to attack him when she was behind him. He was waiting for her to strike first. Because his blade was lighter he would be faster. If she attacked he could block then strike before she had a chance to back away.

Finally he tired of waiting for her and leapt in a quick and surprising attack. Ann barely managed to block. This is when she realized just how much faster he was. She was pretty much just entertaining him at this point. She would have a chance if she was in better shape physically. But no, her hands were bound, she was surely dehydrated, her ribs were broken, she had not eaten, she was barefoot, and she was exhausted.

Trying to focus she swiped sideways in an attempt to take off his head. Sparks flew as her katana struck his rapier as he blocked her attack. That made her realize that even though he was faster, her katana's blade was thicker and stronger. His rapier focused on speed and flexibility. If she could connect enough solid hits she may be able to break it. Reminding herself to clear her mind she focused on keeping him on the defensive and holding her offense.

He blocked each of her strikes effortlessly forcing her to the point of exhaustion. But he was beginning to tire as well. She was beginning to feel like she was getting nowhere. He had a very solid defense. But finally she managed to break through it in a lunge. The tip of her blade scratched his side drawing a slight bit of blood before he swiped her sword away from him. He retreated a few paces and felt of the area with his hand. With a frown he drew a foot long dagger with a matching hand guard from his belt with his free hand.

What the-

**This is the true technique. You were struggling with the one sword. You can't beat two!**

Ann ignored Akira's insistent protests and took up a defensive stance. She resolved to question Akira in more depth later. She was trying to imagine how Alexander would implement the dagger into his swordplay.

She soon found out as he lunged at her in a flurry of motion. It was all she could do to block and back up. He was using some type of circular pattern. It looked almost like a very deadly dance. Suddenly her back hit a wall. Her yes went wide as her opponent lunged. She didn't have time to block.

Pain radiated from her left shoulder and she threw her head back in a scream. Looking to the source of her pain she saw that his sword had gone through her shoulder and was pinning her to the wall.

Time seemed to stand still, as did Batman, Ashley, and the blonde man as they all looked to her. She did the only thing she could do. She raised her right arm in an attempt to swing her sword at him. He scoffed at her and knocked her arm away and her sword skidded across the ground several yards.

Batman immediately started their way but was stopped when Alexander held his dagger to her throat. She grasped at the sword protruding from her shoulder, trying to pull it free. But he had too much pressure on the blade. The point was actually stuck in the brick wall behind her.

Alexander glanced back at Ann. "Quite an interesting set of friends you have." He told her. Seething she spat at his face. He sighed then back handed her. Batman made a move as if to come to her rescue. But he stopped when Alexander pressed the blade against her throat again pointedly. He then looked back to Batman.

"I've heard quite a lot about 'you'. The mysterious Dark Knight who protects this city. What a character you are." He looked back at Ann. "It seems you have a way of drawing interesting people to you, my dear." He commented. "Fuck you." She told him.

He twisted the sword in her shoulder causing her to clench her teeth in agony.

"Father!" A loud and angry voice yelled. The sword stopped twisting in her shoulder and she managed to look to the source of the voice. In the rubble of the destroyed wall stood a very menacing and angry Joker.

Alexander yanked the sword from her shoulder and she collapsed in a heap against the wall. Joker stalked towards Alexander. Ann, even in her state of agony, could feel the anger radiating off him. He paused as he passed the hostage scene between the blonde man and Ashley. Looking at the man holding Ashley captive he held his gaze for a moment. "You have three seconds to let-her-go."

The blonde man had a confused but slightly scared look on his face at this point. Ann mentally counted to three.

All she saw was a flash of movement as Joker flung out his arm. A small dagger suddenly appeared in the blonde man's forehead.

Ashley shrieked as the man fell back dead and she scrambled away to stand safely behind Batman who was scowling in irritation.

Joker ignored the scowl and continued towards Alexander who had backed up a decent distance.

"Get her outta here." Joker told Batman as he walked to stand over Ann's discarded sword. He bent down and picked it up before straitening and walking forwards again. Alexander gradually backed away from Ann as he approached.

Ann was leaning against the wall holding her wounded shoulder. She was in a near trance like state as she watched him walk towards her. She frowned as he passed her, giving her a simple glance as he walked on by.

Why didn't he stop?

She could tell he was angry. She could see it in the tense muscles of his shoulders. In his taunt back. He was trying to hold back his rage.

Suddenly she was jerked out of her trance as someone picked her up, intent on taking her away. As soon as they moved her she began thrashing and kicking. The sounds of steel clashing could be heard in the background.

I don't want to go! I want to stay!

"I want to stay!"

"What's wrong with her? Ann?" Ashley's voice sounded worried. "I don't know."

"Let me go!"

**Sleep**.

"What? No!"

**There's nothing more you can do. Now 'Sleep'.**

Hey body suddenly went stiff and her consciousness faded.


	38. Chapter 38

 

 

 

 

Joker watched over his shoulder as 'the dark knight' carried her away behind him. She obviously didn't want to go. She was kicking and screaming, fiercely demanding that he put her down. Turning back to his father, Joker let out a sneer. "I'll make you pay for hurting her." He told the man before him. "It had to be done, boy. I'm sure by now you know her significance." Alexander told him as he circled towards him, slowly and menacingly working his way back and forth as if debating how to go about his attack.

Joker was determined to not give him the chance. He dashed forward with a powerful slash strait down with Ann's katana. Alexander, surprised by the sudden attack, didn't have time to dodge. So he brought up his rapier and dagger in an x shaped block that barely stopped the katana from catching his shoulder.

But Joker didn't stop there. He never gave his father the chance to retaliate. From the downward slash he transversed into a side swipe that Alexander narrowly avoided by rolling away backwards. Joker pressed his assault by kicking at the man as he rolled away on the ground.

Alexander got to his feet. Finally having some distance between them he leapt into an assault of his own, swinging the lighter rapier quickly in several different directions before attacking with a thrust. Joker managed to block the thrust and the rapier collided with the katana in a show of sparks.

The fight went on like this for some time. Jak would attack only to be blocked then Alexander would attack. Neither of them willing to give any ground until…

Joker blocked a diagonal slash and reversed the katana in his hands. The katana slid seamlessly under the rapier to slash Alexander in the arm, just under where Ann had managed to cut him. At the same time he tilted his head to avoid the tip of the rapier as Alexander's attack followed through. The rapier cut off a sliver of his hair as he dodged the attack, but he was otherwise, unaffected.

Alexander jumped away just as Jak flipped the blade and slashed at him again. He narrowly avoided Jak's second attack. Collecting himself, Alexander inspected the new slash on his arm. Striping himself of his brown jacket he tossed it aside.

He then stalked angrily strait for Jak. Halfway to him he raised his sword, intent on bashing him with it. Jak however knew the look in his eyes to mean he was extremely pissed off and circled as the man approached him. "Ungrateful child. How dare you come against me on this. You'll learn to fear and respect me." He told him. He swiped at Jak, who batted the sword away with Ann's katana as he backed away and Alexander advanced. "How many times did I tell you the story as a child? How many times did I mention how important it was to keep the witch contained? And now, the moment we finally have her, you and your adolescent friends destroy all we accomplished!" He yelled while swiping at him again. Jak blocked a second time while jumping back to avoid the dagger.

"Fairy tales of magic and sorcery? It doesn't exist anymore! The world has moved on. You have no right to pursue her! You never did!" Jak yelled back as he swung in retaliation. Alexander blocked as Jak let out a torrent of side swipes and lunges, hoping to back him up. "You're a fool to think that she has changed!" Alexander told him as he rolled away from a blow that would have taken off his head.

"And you're a fool for putting so much faith in your bull shit stories!" Jak yelled again jumping at him to slash diagonally at his shoulder. Alexander moved to block but he was too slow, thanks to the wounds on his arm. The tip of the blade caught him on the upper right side of his chest and sliced its way cleanly to his lower left stomach. In mid attack, Alexander realized he wouldn't be able to block and changed his block attempt into a low swipe with his sword. The rapier caught Jak just above his right knee and cut its way around his leg. Alexander howled in agony while Jak hissed from the pain in his leg. Both men stumbled backwards and away from each other.

Jak favored his leg and held the wound with his hand, hoping to keep the blood from flowing. Alexander leaned on his sword while gasping for breath and holding his chest. Glancing behind him, Alexander noted that he was near the blown away entrance to the building. Realizing there was no way to win with such a serious wound he turned and fled into the building. "This isn't over!" He yelled over his shoulder. Jak began to give chase but the wound in his leg wouldn't allow it. Grinding his teeth in annoyance he sneered at the retreating man. "You stay away from her!" He yelled into the darkness.

* * *

 

~Ann~

Blood and fire were everywhere. Dead bodies piled upon each other. Screams filled the air. The screams of horror, pain, and craziness.

"She's having nightmares again." A low voice commented.

Who is that? I know that voice."She's been through a lot. It's only natural." This voice sounded finicky, almost prude.

She mentally frowned. Were they talking about her? What did she have to face now?

"She needs rest. How can she possibly rest if she's squirming and screaming all night? She could re-open her wounds." The first voice seemed angry.

She didn't want to open her eyes. She didn't want to see the death anymore.

"I can't do anything more about that. The sleeping tonic isn't working. The only thing you can do to help her is hold her down when she begins to fit again." The second voice sounded drained and exhausted.

She finally conjured up the strength to open her eyes. She regained her vision just in time to see a chubby man in white walk out the door and close it. With the door closing the light promptly disappeared and she was blind for a moment until her eyes adjusted again.

"Your awake." It was the owner of the first voice. Ann managed to turn her head to see Bruce walk to a chair by the bed.

She tried to lean up on her elbows so she could talk but pain coursed through her body. "No no. Don't do that." He told her urgently and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Lay back and relax."

"Here." He held a glass of water towards her. "Drink some water."

At the sight of water she grabbed the glass and downed most of it in mere moments. She then promptly choked in her haste.

"How do you feel?" He asked after she had recovered from her coughing fit. "My head hurts. So does the rest of my body. What happened? Is Ashley okay? And Alexander?"

"Easy. Ashley's fine. She's asleep in the next room. Alexander got away. But he was hurt pretty badly." Bruce told her.

"What about-" She almost hated asking this of him. She knew it would hurt his feelings. "What about Joker?" She asked hesitantly.

She saw him sigh quietly as he looked away. "He was injured. But he still lives." Bruce told her.

Ann had so many questions running through her mind. The most important one she could think of promptly came out of her mouth a moment later. "How long was it till you found me?" She asked. "Two and a half days." He told her.

"How did you find me?" She asked.

Bruce visibly grimaced. "Your not going to be happy." He told her. She scowled. "Why?" She asked skeptically. He hesitated a moment.

"I, uh, put a tracking device in your boot." He told her.

"You did what?" She yelled. Immediately the pain in her head intensified and she winced holding her head in her hands.

"Take it easy. I figured something like this might happen eventually. So I put a bug in the fabric of your boot. It saved your life." He told her. Ann groaned and laid back on the bed.

"Well then what the hell took you so damn long?" She asked.

"When you didn't come back that night, I did worry. But I figured you may have fallen asleep at your place. When you didn't answer your phone all the next day I sent Duane to look for you. Several hours later I found out you had gone missing. That's when I used the tracking device." He explained.

"Well, I'm so thankful that an invasion of my privacy helped save me agony and torment." Ann said with dry sarcasm.

"You know something. I think you and Luscious would get along pretty good." He told her. Ann raised her eyebrows quizzically. "I've always liked that name." She commented to herself as she looked at the ceiling.

"He told me I shouldn't. But I'm glad I did anyway." He continued, ignoring her random comment. 

So he talks about me to his friends? 

He continued, ignoring the glare she threw his way. "Personal rights are there for a reason. I get that. But, I'd have done a lot worse than violate personal rights to keep you safe." He told her. She was silent for a moment, trying to decide how to respond. "I suppose all rules are meant to be broken, for the right reasons." She replied finally.

He smirked. "Only you would complain about an invasion of privacy right after you barely escape being impaled by a sword and killed. You haven't even recovered yet."

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked, groaning as she forced herself to sit up. He didn't try to stop her this time, knowing she was stubborn and would do so anyway.

"Three days." He told her simply. She balked. "Three days? That's not possible." She told herself. "We were able to wake you several times to give you water and some broth." He told her. She frowned. "I don't remember it. Any of it." She told him.

"You were quite delirious. Mumbled nonsense mostly. You did that in your sleep too." He told her.

The nightmares?

"I think you were having a pretty bad dream. You wouldn't stop thrashing. Nearly tore out your stitches once when I fell asleep. I had to watch you the whole time." He told her.

She suddenly realized how tired he looked.

He must have stayed awake with me the whole time.

"I'm awake now. You should go get some sleep. I'm fine." She told him. He shook his head. "No. You still need to rest. You haven't recovered yet." He told her.

**He's not going to leave.**

You! I've got a few choice words to say to you!

**Later! He's watching you.**

She broke away from her silent conversation to glance at Bruce, who was watching her with a knowing expression. Frowning at how obvious her conversations with Akira were to both Bruce and Joker she laid back down on the bed. "Well, anyways, now that I'm awake there's no reason to fret over me. I'll be fine." She told him in a monotone while staring at the ceiling.

"Okay." He told her simply. "You don't have to watch me. So you can go get some sleep now." She reiterated. "I believe you. I'll just sleep here. Just to be sure." He told her. She frowned, mainly because he wouldn't leave her to her thoughts; But also because he refused to go someplace comfortable to sleep.

After a few minutes of silence she sighed and glanced at him. He had his arms crossed and his eyes closed. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. But she knew there was no way he was asleep yet.

"So you refuse to leave?" She asked again, just to confirm it. "That's right." He told her. She sighed again. She was beginning to feel the full weight of guilt. She growled quietly in annoyance. "Well if you won't leave you may as well be comfortable." She grumbled. "I don't understand." He told her without opening his eyes. "This is a friggin king size bed. You can sleep on the other side if you want, I guess." She told him.

"Your too kind. But to preserve your honor, I'd rather not." He told her. A moment later he couldn't help but yawn. She almost laughed. "To preserve my honor? What are you, some chivalrous knight in shining armor on a white horse determined to slay the dragon?" She asked sarcastically.

Come to think of it, that is a rather scarily accurate description.

**His armor is black**.

You shut up. I'm angry with you at the moment.

He smirked. "Something like that." He told her. "Well thank you, 'gallant sir', but I do believe I can take care of my own honor." She told him sarcastically. "I'm not exactly the damsel in distress."

"Not what it seems like to me." He commented. She glared at him as he continued. "You have three broken ribs, multiple bruises, cuts all over your back and arms, a busted face, and a hole in your shoulder. So I doubt you'll be doing much of anything for awhile." He told her.

"Fine. Be miserable." She told him hatefully before she rolled over to face the opposite side of the room. Moving that much hurt her ribs and shoulder, but she wanted to prove the point. And she was getting sick of lying on her back. She still left him room to get in the bed and remain a fair distance from her if he decided to change his mind.

**So are we going to have that talk now?**

We've never fought anyone with 'that' fighting style before. But you said you had. What are you not telling me?

**It's complicated**.

And what's with these damn dreams I kept having. They didn't seem like dreams at all.

**They weren't.**

Then what the hell were they and why is it complicated?

She forced herself to calm down a bit else she might spike Bruce's 'is she okay' alarm.

Just tell me, already. Why were those people so damn interested in you?

**As I said, it's complicated.**

Well you better damn well start explaining it then!

Ann felt the annoyance radiating from her invisible counterpart.

What could possibly be so bad that it'd hut to tell me?

- **sigh- okay. The knights have been around hundreds of years right?**

Yeah…

**Well so have I.**

No seriously. Stop the games. You couldn't have been around hundreds of years when I'm only in my 20's.

**Eh, it kind of works like a generational disease. I keep getting passed down.**

Wait, your serious?

**Very. See, hundreds of years ago I was a powerful priestess. I believe your generation calls them something different now though.**

So what the hell are you doing in my body if you lived hundreds of years ago?

**Patience! I'm getting to it. The profession of being a priestess had been passed down in our family for generations. I learned my skills from my mother at a very young age and proceeded to only grow stronger as I grew older.**

Wait a minute. You said 'our' family. What do you mean 'our' family?

**Damn it! I'm your ancestor. Just let me tell the story. Christ. As I said, the Knights have been around since they actually 'were' knights. They took it upon themselves to protect mankind from evil, but they got arrogant and greedy. Now their just as corrupt and evil as the ones they swore to protect mankind from.**

Who were the ones they swore to protect us from?

**It's not important at this point, as they were infiltrated by one and the same. Now stop interrupting.**

Ann was beginning to feel like a child caught up in an old veteran's war story.

**In their greed they sought to corrupt me and our family's way of life by trying to bribe my mother and me onto their side. When their attempts failed they grew angry and attacked the small village we called home.**

At this point her voice faltered a bit then she continued.

**My mother had begun to descent into old age and her power had faded. I was the only person with significant power as my children were young and had only begun to learn their potential.**

Ann was beginning to feel a bit nauseous as she started putting the pieces together.

**When they attacked I had gone to the river near the village to collect water. Once I noticed the smoke rising I ran back to find the village nearly destroyed. The Knights had sent an army to hunt me down and either force me to submit to their wishes or kill me so that my power could never be used against them. I found my husband dead at the door to our home with my 3 year old son in his arms. My daughter was missing. I found my mother later on the outskirts of the village amongst countless dead bodies. She had put up a fight and attempted to defend the village and died in the process.**

That's horrible! I'm so sorry.

**I lost my mind with grief and followed the bastards' tracks back to where they had come from. It took years, but I fought my way through their ranks to find my 10 year old daughter being held captive by the head knight, whom had sought to claim my power as his own. He gave me an ultimatum. Either surrender and do his bidding or my daughter would die. Of course, I didn't surrender. But I was exhausted and seriously wounded after fighting the small army that he had brought with him. With the final blow of the fight he would have killed me and I couldn't allow my daughter to be raised and exploited. So with my last breath I unleashed a torrent of power that I had planned on using to destroy us both, leaving my daughter to escape and grow up free and safe. But it backfired and left my soul trapped in my daughter's body.**

Okay, I'm confused here. What exactly does being a priestess entail? Were you a witch or something?

Ann was beginning to feel slightly concerned. She wasn't exactly an avid church goer, but she didn't like the idea of having anything to do with witch craft either.

**Not exactly. It's complicated. It isn't witchcraft. Witchcraft is different. A priestess is someone who is a protector of the people. Godly and just, they use the power given to them by God to right injustices and keep evil powers at bay. It was usually passed on through the family to females but on rare occasions a male has inherited the gift as well. What you call a 'witch' we considered 'dark priestesses' or sorcerers.**

This is insane! So you mean to say you've been just jumping from mother to daughter over and over again for hundreds of years? And I'm assuming the knights have been trying to catch you all these years as well? What the hell? Aren't you ready to be at peace yet?

**It's not that simple! I should have died the day I avenged my village and saved my daughter! I'm bound to my descendants. There's nothing I can do.**

Holy hell on earth.

**It's really not all that bad.**

Not that bad? I have a dead priestess living in my head! Does this mean if I ever have kids you'll transfer from me to them?

**You'll ever only have one child. And it'll most likely be a girl. If I choose, I can stay with you until you die, or move on when the child is born. I have done both in the past.**

Okay, while on the subject, I haven't exactly been using protection with Joker. Are you the reason I'm not pregnant yet?

**I can control your hormones to make it impossible to get pregnant.**

Your kidding! That's incredable. 

**However, if for some reason I'm knocked out, like when we fight, I won't be able to do so should you have sex.**

Okay. Noted. If you can control horomones, can you interrupt my menstrual cycle?

**Of course.**

Jesus! Why didn't you tell me?! You should have been doing that from the start!

**You never asked.**

Ugh. Well, from now on please do so.

**Were going to have to** **continue this later.**

Why?

**Lover boy is moving.**

What?

The bed moved slightly and she felt the weight of someone lay down on the other side of the bed. She rolled over to look at Bruce. He glanced at her. "So I thought it over." He told her. She waited a few seconds. "And?" she finally asked impatiently. "And so long as I stay above the covers, I don't see anything wrong with it." He told her.

Woah, he's tired enough to cave in. He'd probably do anything to sleep right about now.

"I don't see what the big deal is. You've kissed me 'and' made out with me before. So what's wrong with sleeping with me?" She asked. He raised an eyebrow and cracked his eye open to look at her.

Oh Jesus.

"I didn't mean it like that!" She insisted. He smirked again. "Go to sleep."

She glared at him before rolling back over and closing her eyes. The conversation with Akira was still swirling through her head. But her body's exhaustion won out and she let herself drift off to sleep.

* * *

 

"I don't care what you say! I am not eating 'that'!" Ann told the two obnoxious men that refused to leave her room. "It's good for you! Can't you just do what your told for once in your life? Damn it, woman!" Duane yelled back at her while shoving a bowl of green goopy liquid at her. She had heard a similar argument from Ashley through the wall separating their room.

"Screw you, you overly arrogant, self imposing, army brat wanna be!" Duane looked mortified at her insult and was about to object when he was cut off.

"I assure you, Miss Giovanni, it is very nutritional and will speed your recovery." The man, whom she now knew as Doctor Gibson, told her. "Then you eat it." She told him.

Bruce leaned against the wall to her right with his hand covering half his face, laughing under his breath.

"You thought you knew best before, remember? That's how you got in this mess." Duane told her.

"No, I was attacked by twenty people and over powered, you twit. That's hardly due to an error with my reasoning skills."

"Please miss. If you'll only eat this one-" "What's it taste like, doc?" Ann interrupted him. "Well, it- uh."

"You don't know! You say it's 'so' good for you, but yet you've never eaten it! Bloody hypocrites. Get out of my room! Both of you!" Ann yelled.

Giving up the doctor finally left her alone. Duane followed him out mumbling curses at her as he slammed the door. He left the bowl of goop on the bedside table.

Now that they were gone, Bruce walked over to sit on the bed. "Shit. Your not goinna start in too?" She asked in a tired voice.

Bruce picked up the bowl of the thick liquid. Without a word he raised the bowl to his nose and smelt. He wrinkled his nose slightly then took a breath and picked up the spoon and took a bite.

Ann's face contorted in disgust that mirrored Bruce's. After a moment he handed her the bowl. "It tastes awful. Now eat it." He told her. Her jaw dropped slightly as she deftly took the bowl.

Bruce cleared his throat. "Ashley ate half hers. You really want her to hold that over you if you don't eat it?" He asked.

Ann looked down at the disgusting substance she held in the bowl.

Then she ate it.

* * *

 

She was 100% sick of being in bed by now. She was beginning to feel like a prisoner again. It had been a whole two days since she had woken up and she was tired of being told to stay in bed. The wound in her shoulder looked much better, though it still hurt quite a bit when she tried to lift it above her head. The scratches and cuts on her arms, legs, and back were almost healed but she was going to have a few nasty scars, particularly on her back. Her lip was still recovering from being busted. A few bruises still reamined, but they were significantly lighter and almost gone. Otherwise her face was better as well. She didn't feel tired. Her ribs still hurt once in awhile when she moved the wrong way, but it was manageable.

Her shoulder, upper arm, and chest area had bandages that wrapped around them, which was a bit restricting. She supposed it was so she wouldn't move and her ribs would heal like they were supposed to.

Bruce had just left her alone for the first time. He had said he needed to take care of some business. She figured that meant he could be doing anything from making business calls to fighting with Joker. She had no idea. All she knew was that she wanted out of this room, and he was periodically busy.

She pulled the covers off her. She still wore the same loose fitting night gown that she had awoken in. Ann had decided not to ask who had changed her. Surely it wasn't Bruce. He wouldn't invade her privacy 'that' much.

She cautiously twisted in place and let her legs dangle off the side of the bed. Ashley had been given the 'okay' to leave her room the day before and had come to pester Ann several times since then. Thankfully, Ann was in her usual room in Bruce's manor instead of the hospital. Ann didn't know what had happened to her boots, coat, weapons, cell phone, or her jewelry that she normally wore. She was actually pretty tore up about losing the bracelet and necklace Joker had given her. And she was a bit worried about her katana, though she knew Joker wouldn't have left it behind.

Placing her bare feet on the floor next to the bed she stood slowly. She steadied herself using the corner post of the bed until she was sure she had her balance. After staying in the bed so long her legs weren't used to being used, despite her trips to the bathroom. She walked shakily across the room to the closet where her suitcase had been stashed. She hastily put on some actual clothes, red tank top and a pair of plain jeans, and found a pair of shoes that Misa had packed for her the day she first came to stay there. The shoes weren't to her liking, but they would have to do. They were more like slippers than actual shoes. Yellow with pink frill around the edges and a flat sole.

She went to the mirror in the adjoining bathroom and looked over her reflection. Her hair was a messy tangle and her face was a bit paler than normal. Her busted lip was healing, but was still visible and tender to the touch. She picked up her brush and hastily began trying to sort out the tangles in her hair, cursing all the while under her breath.

Once she was satisfied she exited the bathroom and made her way to the closed bedroom door. That was when she remembered that her car was still at her apartment. Cursing she stopped to think about what to do. She couldn't call for a cab. She didn't have any money to pay the fair with and she didn't have a phone. Growling in annoyance she opened the door to seek out Ashley.

Thankfully, Ann already knew where the blonde was once she stepped into the hallway. She could hear Ashley's chipper voice floating from the bedroom she had been occupying. Going to the door, Ann opened it to find Ashley lying on her stomach on the bed swinging her legs in the air and talking on the phone.

Ashley frowned upon seeing her friend enter the room and hastily got off the phone. "You should be in bed!" Ashley scolded her. Ann waived her hand, dismissing the blonde's complaints. "I need outta here for awhile. And I'm supposed to take my license test today in an hour. So I need to use your phone to call a ride." Ann told her. "Shouldn't you postpone your test? You need rest." Ashley replied. Ann scoffed. "I've had just about too much rest for me to handle. I feel fine, and if you don't let me use your phone I'll just put you in a sleep hold till you either pass out or agree to let me use it." Ann told her. She was fed up with this nonsense.

"Okay, but you don't need to call a cab." Ashley told her. "I got your car so you could use it once you were out of bed." Ann frowned slightly. "That's awesome Ash, but how'd you get it to start? The keys were in my coat." Ann asked. Surely she hadn't had someone hot wire it for her. Much as she was happy to have the car, she wasn't too happy about the idea that someone had tore into the dash and pulled everything apart.

"No, Devon gave me the keys. He's actually the one who asked me to bring the car back here." Ashley informed her.

Devon had my keys? Maybe he has some of my other stuff too.

"Great. Gimme the keys." Ann told her. "One minute. I'm going with you." Ashley said. Ann glared at her. "No. Your no-t." Ann told her, mimicking the way Joker talked when he was trying to scare someone. She kinda liked the way it sounded. "Your still not recovered. I'm going with you or I'm telling Bruce." The blonde informed her. Ann growled. "Tell Bruce! I don't care! He is not my guardian and neither are you. Now give me MY car keys." Ann commanded. "Nope." Ann glared. "Argh. Fine!" Ann said clenching her teeth. "Let's friggin go." She said before storming out. Ashley jumped up and down for a second before following her.

The two women snuck through the house being as quiet as possible. They managed to make it all the way to the garage without anyone noticed them. Once they were 'both' in the car Ashley handed over the keys so they could leave. Ann started the engine and pulled out of the garage then headed towards the DMV.

Ten minutes after leaving and Ashley's phone rang. Looking at the caller ID she smiled and held up the phone.

BRUCE WAYNE

Calling

Ann smirked. "Looks like he misses you." Ashley commented. Ann adjusted her position in the seat a bit uncomfortably. "Should I answer?" Ashley asked. "If you want to." Ann told her as she reached for the volume on the radio, turning it up just as Ashley answered the call.

"Hello?" Ashley yelled. Her voice was just barely audible over the music on the radio. "What'd you say?" She yelled into the phone a few moments later. "I'm sorry Bruce! I can't hear you! Bye." She yelled again and hung up the phone. She then crossed her legs cockily and leaned her arm out the window and let her fingers tap along to the beat of the music.

Before getting out of the car Ann retrieved her license and social security card from the glove box, thankful that she kept them in her car instead of on her. She would have been screwed if she had lost those too.

They were a little early, but Ann didn't care. She could wait. Going inside Ann took a number from the small red ticket machine that sat on a stand by the door. "87?" Ann glanced to the opposite wall to see a big digital 'clock' with only two numbers lit up in bright red. The numbers read 54. "Fuck." Ann said dropping her head with a sigh.

An hour and a half of listening to Ashley complain and Ann finally got her turn. She was asked to provide her drivers license and social security card. After typing on the small computer on the other side of the counter, the short and rotund woman opposite her handed her back the documents and directed her through a door to the left of the counter. Upon entering the door she explained to the tall thin man behind the counter in that room that she was there for the motorcycle test. He typed on his computer for a few moments before telling her to take a seat at the computer labeled with a 2 above the monitor and then she could begin her test.

A bit confused, Ann sat at the computer and watched the blank screen for a moment. A minute went by and the screen flashed over to one that stated her name in bold at the top with a button in the middle of the screen labeled 'start'. Ann clicked the start button and began her test.

It didn't take long. Ann was pleased to see that she only missed one question on the test. She was allowed four or five. Ironically the question she missed didn't even have anything to do with motorcycles at all. It asked what the effects of alcohol had on judgment. Rolling her eyes slightly she smiled as the lady typed on the computer for another minute or two.

"Alright Miss Giovanni, now all you need to do is take the driven test. I can schedule you for an appointment at 3 o-clock this after noon. Would that be okay?" The man behind the counter asked. Ann glanced at the clock behind the counter. It told her that it was 11am. "Will I have to wait in line again?" She asked. "No ma'am. Our afternoons are reserved for driving tests." He told her. "Okay, that'll be fine." She said with a worried look on her face. She hadn't anticipated taking the test the same day.

Shit. What am I goinna do now?

Bruce had originally planned on letting her use his motorcycle, but she had just snuck out of his place while he probably still considered her too injured to leave the bed. And on top of that she had turned up the radio when he had called.

Ann walked out of the DMV pondering her situation without a word to Ashley, whom had barely caught sight of her as she walked through the waiting room. "So? How'd it go?" She asked as they headed towards the car. "Not good." Ann told her. "You failed?" She asked astounded. Ann shook her head. "No. I passed." Ann answered. Ashley frowned in confusion. "Well then what's bad?" She asked.

Ann sighed. "They want me to take the driving test today at 3." She told the blonde. "Well that's great!" Ashley exclaimed. "No! It's not. I have to use Bruce's motorcycle! And Bruce is probably pissed about me even leaving! Not to mention the thing with the radio earlier." Ann yelled in frustration. "Oh. I forgot about that." She replied as they got into Ann's car.

"I'm sure he'd understand you wanting to leave. All you have to do is explain that you were sick of sitting in the bedroom and needed fresh air. And you remembered you had an appointment at the DMV and figured that it couldn't hurt to drive for 15 minutes and take a test then drive back." Ashley told her. Ann was skeptical. "But I wasn't planning on going back. At least not for awhile. I was planning on going to get some of my own clothes." Ann replied. Ashley rolled her eyes. "Well, you don't have to tell him that!" She exclaimed. "Okay, well what about the phone call and the radio?" Ann asked sarcastically. "Just tell him your sorry and that I couldn't hear him." She replied. Ann sighed in defeat. "I guess I can give it a shot." She told the blonde as they pulled out into the street.

"You have to be really sweet and innocent. Use your womanly charm." Ashley suggested. "What?" Ann yelled. "Just, I dunno, be all shy and sexy when you ask him." Ashley told her. Ann sighed loudly. "Why? Why does shit like this happen to me?" Ann asked the ceiling of the car as they stopped at a red light. "It'll be okay. You can do it. Hell, I bet he'd jump off a 30 story building if you asked him to." Ashley reassured her. Ann scoffed. "Yeah, like he's never done 'that' before." Ann replied sarcastically as the light changed to green and she urged the car forward again. "Okay, you have a point. But you get what I mean. And he already offered to let you use his bike. You just have to show him that your not too injured to do it and be really sweet and apologize for sneaking away." Ashley told her. "Okay. Okay, I got this. Just tell him I'm sorry and be all 'sweet'." She said more to herself.

Ann was already beginning to feel a bit better. Just being out of that room relieved a ton of stress and pent up anxiety. But her emotions were getting the better of her, and her confusion and annoyance at Akira was making her paranoid. Not to mention that Joker had been out of the picture since she woke up.

The fact that Joker and Bruce had actually worked together to save her was daunting in itself. But he hadn't even attempted to contact her since she had woken up. And she knew he was aware of her consciousness. He was the Joker. Plus Ashley had already gone to see Devon and Ann was sure that he had been informed. So that was bothering her as well. It was possible that he was just waiting on her to show up.

The closer they got to her apartment the more anxious she got about it. The idea of just disappearing away from all the craziness and stress was looking better by the minute. She was sure that if she could just get away from everyone for awhile she would feel better. But she wanted to see Joker first.

"So whadda ya goinna do about Bruce?" Ashley asked when they were five minutes from her apartment. "What do you mean?" Ann asked, hoping to avoid the conversation she knew was coming. "Well, its clear he wants you. And you can't just get rid of him. And then there's Joker…." Ashley trailed off.

"Joker does 'not' run my life." Ann told her, slightly angry. "You keep hangin around both of them and something bad is eventually going to happen." Ashley told her. "What am I supposed to do?" Ann snapped. "As you pointed out, I can't get rid of Bruce and I sure as hell can't get rid of Joker." Ann said. "Well, you gotta do something. I understand you don't want either of them out of your life. But your just playing with fire like this. They already hate each other. The more this goes on the worse it's going to get."

A moment later Ann pulled into the parking lot and she parked. Ann shut off the engine then looked at Ashley. "Okay. If we get ambushed this time, we run. And then I'm never letting you ride with me again. Cause this is ridiculous." Ann told her. Ashley laughed. "Deal." She replied. Ann smiled and they exited the car.

Ann had parked as close to the elevator as she possibly could, just to be safe. Luckily there was nothing to worry about. No bad guys jumped at them from around the corner. No knives at Ashley's throat or guns pointing at them. They walked quickly to the elevator glancing over their shoulders the whole way.

Once they were in the elevator they calmed down a bit. Ann pushed the top floor button and leaned against the wall as the elevator lurched into motion. The elevator ride was silent as Ashley's words sank in. Ann realized that there weren't any options anymore. She had to face this problem, but how exactly was she supposed to do that again?

When they reached the top the elevator doors dinged open and Ann stepped out followed by Ashley. Ann reached for the door handle but the door swung open before she had the chance to open it herself. A mere moment later there was a gun pointed at her forehead, only inches away. Eyes wide she backed up a step on impulse as Joker gave a visible sigh of relief and lowered the gun as he stepped away from the door. Ann gave him a wary look as she stepped through the door. Ashley did the same.

Joker pushed the door and it swung shut a bit loudly. "You should be in bed." He told her as he took a seat on the couch to resume watching the tv.

I've heard this a billion times.

"I'm fine." She told him, glancing around her apartment. There was a broken lamp on the floor next to the table that it was supposed to sit on, beer cans and empty pizza boxes littered the floor, the coffee table had been kicked over, and random knives were stuck into the wall behind the chairs across from the tv.

Ashley leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Devon said he's been alone in here all week and refuses to let anyone in." Ashley told her quietly. Ann sighed.

Now she tells me.

"Gimme some space here Ash." Ann told her. Ashley nodded and stepped outside the door.

After Ashley was outside Ann walked over to the couch and sat beside him. "I'm glad your okay." She said quietly. "Hn." Was the only reply she got. She was silent a moment. "I was really surprised when I woke up and I wasn't here." She told him. "Well it was either there or the damn hospital." He mumbled as he tipped up a beer can to guzzle what was left of the liquid. Ann frowned. Obviously there had been an argument on where she was going to be recovering. And Joker had lost.

"Well, thanks for not letting them put me in the hospital." She told him. Another 'Hn'. He stood and made his way to the kitchen. Ann followed him to see that the refrigerator had been completely emptied of food and replaced with beer. He reached in for another one then began to leave the room, but she stopped him by stepping in his way quickly. He stumbled a bit when he stopped short to avoid running into her. She took the beer form him. "I think you've had enough." She told him as she sat the beer on the counter next to her.

**Is he drunk?**

I've never seen him drunk before.

He looked at the beer on the counter then glanced back at her. A moment later he reached around her and grabbed her ass with both hands, pulling her against him. Her eyes went wide for the second time in the last two minutes as he picked her and slammed her back against the fridge. She winced at the pain it caused her ribs and shoulder. She didn't have time to dwell on it though; his lips were against hers roughly seconds later.

She felt his manhood through the fabric of their clothes and he moved to nip, bite, and suck on her neck. She moaned as his thumbs massaged roughly at her hips. "Will you beg for me, lil Shadow?" He growled quietly against her neck. She bit her lip as he grinded against her. "Jak, I think your drunk." She told him quietly. Her voice came out deep and huskier than she expected. She felt him smile against her neck.

Suddenly she was thrown over his shoulder. This hurt her ribs again and she let out a small yelp of pain. He didn't seem to notice as he carried her, haphazardly, towards the bedroom. Every step he took hurt a bit. "My ribs are still broken, Jak. Your hurting me." She told him as he approached her bedroom. He suddenly stopped then dropped her to her feet where he steadied her for a moment. After that short moment, however, he twisted the arm that wasn't injured behind her and roughly shoved her into the room and then on the bed. "I told you, you should be in bed." He informed her as he crawled towards her. She hastily backed away, but he grabbed her by the ankle and dragged her under him.

His lips were against hers again as he pulled at her shirt. Apparently he decided not to bother with it. He pulled a double edged knife from his pocket and flicked it open. She immediately stilled at the sight of the blade in his hand. She was already a bit on edge when he was on top of her with a knife. Couple that with his drunken state and she was nearly paranoid. He slipped the knife under her shirt. The knife was indeed sharp, as it required little effort on his part to slice the fabric in two. The tip of the blade ran against her skin as he ran the knife through the shirt. She shivered as it ran over the bandages on her upper body. He slit the thin straps off and the shirt fell away to show the prominent white bandages against her pale skin.

He all but froze in slight shock as he stared at the bandages around her arm and upper body, covering her breasts. Then he frowned. He hadn't even noticed them until that moment.

**And 'that's' why he's drinking.**

Gentler now he bent down and softly kissed the skin on the edge of the bandages of her arm. She relaxed a bit at his swing from violent and possessive to protective and caring. He nuzzled her neck. "This is 'my' fault." He told her. She shook her head. "Your not responsible for your father's actions." She told him. "I took you to Japan. I practically handed you to him with a bow on top." He told her.

**That's a new one.**

I think he just sobered up a bit.

She pulled his face up to her to look him in the eyes. They were still a bit cloudy from the alcohol.

**Nope, just the usual mood swing with the added effect of alcohol.**

"It's not your fault. From what I've figured out, they would have found me eventually anyways. We just got it out of the way early, okay?"

His lips were on hers again an instant later and her eyes went wide a third time as she kissed him back. His mood swings were erratic, she realized suddenly as he grasped at her hips and ground against her. Soon she could no longer restrain herself either, and she kissed him back almost as fervently as he was kissing her

His coat had been left somewhere before she even arrived. Now his shirt was tossed to the other side of the bed and she kicked off her own shoes. Somehow she managed to be glad that he hadn't noticed the hideous things.

She didn't have time to linger on it. She suddenly got a huge taste of beer when his tongue slipped in to tangle with hers as he unbuttoned her pants to tug and pull them past her hips. She fumbled with his pants before he swatted her hands away then pulled hers off her completely. Annoyed and determined to get her way, she grabbed him by the hair suddenly and used his moment of surprise to flip him onto his back and finish trying to take off his pants. His surprise at her actions was written all over his face. She smiled smugly as she pulled his pants completely off, realizing that she had never been so dominant before and usually just let him do his own thing.

He snapped out of his temporary shock when she began pulling at his boxers. Like he had just broken out of a trance, he shook his head slightly before grabbing her by her arms and rolling back over on top of her. Frowning, she tried to flip him again, but he grabbed her wrists and pinned her arms at her sides. Growling, she struggled trying to get her arms free. He smirked down at her. "Whas wrong lil Shadow? Don't like it when you can't move?" He taunted her.

"Damn it Jak! Let go!" She yelled, still squirming. She absolutely hated being pinned down. And she hated it worse when he did it because she hated it. But she was stuck. He was straddling her with his full weight and her arms were pinned next to her. She smirked at him. "You can't exactly take my panties off if your holding my arms down." She told him arrogantly. The smug look on his face vanished for a moment. But a few seconds later a light popped onto his face. "And don't even think about holding my arms above my head. I still have a hole in my shoulder." She told him. His face fell again. Once again, a few seconds later an idea flashed across his face. She giggled. It amazed her how she could read his emotions so easily, when usually he was so hard to read.

He thinks so fast. Even when he's drunk!

He followed through with his thought and she let out a yelp of surprise when she was flipped over onto her stomach and he reclaimed his place on top of her. He was then able to release her hands. "Okay. But I can still move my arms." She told him and waived her arms back and forth on the bed in front of her. It was almost comical until…. "You don't have to be tied to be tamed, love." He whispered in her ear. She shivered, more from his implication than the low menacing tone of his voice.

She had stilled just long enough for him to strip her of her panties before she could resume her struggling. Growling she tried to push herself off the mattress but he denied her by putting his hand on the base of her neck and pushing her back down. He transferred his weight to this hand as he pulled off his boxers with the other. "Damn it! Let me up!" She yelled at him. She heard him laugh low before she was suddenly free for a moment. "Have it your way." He growled before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her up onto her knees. She rolled onto her back to look at him. He was kissing her again before she could regester that he had moved. 

She stilled as he lightly skimmed his fingertips down her sides and over her broken ribs. He brushed his hand down her stomach and over the light curls of hair at her womanhood. 

She whimpered as his fingers rubbed slow circles over her clit. He nipped and sucked at her lower lip a his fingers pressed against her harder, causing her to moan. 

He kissed a trail down her neck and continued down her stomach. A thrill went through her as she realize what he was going to do. He had only ever used his mouth on her once, the first time they had sex. 

His tongue brushed against her as he licked her sensitive folds. She held her breath, anxious for him to continue. He smirked up at her and her heart leapt. Joker took her into his mouth, nipping and sucking her sensitive bud before moving his tongue in slow languishing circles against it.

She moaned and arched her back, pressing herself against him as her hands fisted in the sheets of her bed. She felt his fingers slip inside her, curling and rubbing the sensitive spot inside her.

She bit her lip, whimpering and moaning while he tortured her with his slow languid movements. She broke her hands away from the sheets and ran her fingers through his hair. He groaned at her touch, sending a shock through her.

His movements increased in speed and passion, she felt the tension building, her back taut and rigid as she cried out for him. She threw her head back, gasping at the intensity of her climax as her body quivered and spasmed.

He ran his tongue along her opening, savoring the evidence of her release. 

He smoothly crawled on top of her, his eyes full of calculating desire. She briefly regester that the effects of alcohol were gone as she panted and tried to catch her breath. 

He kissed her, soft and sweet and slow, letting her taste herself in his mouth as their tongues twisted together in a slow dance. 

He grasped her hips and flipped her limp body over so she was laying face down. He wrapped an arm around her stomach and pulled her up onto her hands and knees. 

In one smooth quick motion he plunged inside her.

Her eyes shot wide and her mouth dropped as she let out a moan/scream of surprise. Agonizingly slow, he pulled almost completely out before grabbing her by the hips and pulling her back against him hard. Gasping she clutched the sheets under her hands. He ran his fingers through her hair grasped ahold of it as he thrust into her.

He continued his slow but rough pace until she was moaning and begging him for more.

He flipped her back over onto her back to continue. But the moment he released her she got back her defiance and practically threw him onto his back and leapt on him. Smirking, he relaxed his hands behind his head and let her straddle him this time. Slowly, almost attentively, she lowered herself over him. He inhaled slowly and then let out a quiet moan.

Reassured, she used her legs to continue raising then lowering herself over his stiffness. After a few minutes his eyes were closed and he was stretching his back. It reminded her of how her back arched, only in a more subtle way. And he was still smirking. The smirking was just eating at her. At least he wasn't frowning at her attempts, but the smirk half felt like he was laughing at her. She smacked his chest. "What's so damn funny?" She asked seriously. At this he actually laughed slightly. She glared at him.

"You'd find it a bit more satisfying if you let me help." He told her. "What do you mean, 'help'? I'm in control here." She told him. He smirked and grabbed her hips. "What the-" He pulled her forward against him horizontally then quickly pushed her back to where she had been. Mouth agape in a silent moan she grasped at his hands, in slight disbelief.

"I told you I'd teach you someday. Here's your chance." He told her as he repeated the motion. She moaned and followed his movements. After a few minutes he stopped moving her and just held her hips as she moved herself. She barely registered the look of pleasure on his face. The corner of his lips were curled up in a look of near pain that gave her a feral glimpse of teeth.

She had to admit, it felt incredible. She could feel him bending inside her with each movement forward and back. He suddenly bucked his hips under her and she gasped as his seed spilled into her. She followed him just as quickly when he thrusted into her a final time and she collapsed on top of him.

Laying there against his chest she focused on controlling her breathing as he played with her hair. Noting that the black stripe that usually graced the right side of her bangs had nearly grown out, only the bottom half of the bangs remained black. But he still twisted the remnants of the black stripe around his fingers idly. Her hair was getting longer than she normally liked. Well past her shoulders, it splayed out over the mattress and along her curves to the middle of her back. She resolved to cut the hair as soon as possible. It wouldn't do if an attacker decided to grab her by the hair like Joker had earlier.

Now that the initial excitement was out of the way she was able to look him over a bit better. She remembered Bruce had said Joker had been injured in the fighting. But she couldn't seem to find any injuries without giving away that she was looking for them. Finally she got impatient. "I heard you were hurt." She whispered. He moved his leg and twisted a bit to show her a strait and long slice on his upper right leg that wrapped around half way. It looked to be healing well. "That damn rapier has more reach than a katana." He explained. "Thank you." She told him. He glanced back down at her. "Any time."

Reaching up behind him he grabbed something off the night stand. "I think you've been missing these." He told her before holding out her bracelet and necklace that he had given her. Smiling happily she pulled the bracelet onto her wrist and he slipped the necklace over her head. She sat up and played with the necklace for a minute. "Your katana's clean and downstairs where it belongs." He told her.

Obviously he was sobered up quite a bit. He watched her play with the necklace as she contemplated something. "Where do we go now?" She asked suddenly. He gave her a look that said he didn't quite understand the question. "Your whole point was to find me, right? So you found me. Now what?" She asked more clearly, obviously talking about his search for her before she knew who he was and not the 'knight' incident. He frowned and crossed his arms. "What 'exactly' are you expecting?" He asked. Her face fell a bit. She had been hoping he'd be more obliged to tell her his plans. But then again, it was very possible he hadn't had a plan at all. "I dunno." She said, a bit hurt, and looked away.

She found her pants and underwear and pulled them on, still slightly confused, then went to her closet to pick out a grey tank top. She could hear him moving about and looked over her shoulder to see him buttoning his pants. The look on his face told her that he knew there was about to be an argument.

"I have to finish my business here." He told her, as if that should be explanation enough. "I don't understand. You spent half your life trying to find 'me'. Why does anything else friggin matter?" She asked, letting some of her agitation show.

He was silent a moment. "You were expecting a fairy tale ending? Of course I'm not going to just drop everything and run away with you like a pair of love struck children. I finish what I start." He told her.

"I think you just let yourself get caught up in it cause 'Batman' is actually as smart as you are. Your EGO can't let you leave till you prove to yourself that your better." She said shortly. "I bet you probably ended up forgetting me completely until a fluke wound up dropping you in my lap!" She yelled.

Something shiny caught her attention on the other side of the bed and she leaned over to look. On the floor was her new leather coat laid out smooth. On top of it was her belt, knife, guns, and holsters. Her boots were sitting in front of them. They had all been cleaned and laid out neatly to wait for her return.

She grabbed her boots and began lacing them up. She then grabbed her guns in their holsters and her knife and belt and tossed them on the bed. She picked up her coat and threw it on then flipped her hair out from under the collar. She snapped the front clasps then picked up her weapons again.

"What are you planning?" He asked suddenly, griping her upper arm. She tried to jerk her arm away and hissed when it hurt the wound in her shoulder. Surprised he released her and held up his hands. She glared at him. "I'm not 'planning' anything. But I'll be damned if I just sit and wait for 'you' to finish 'your' little war. Obviously it's more important than I am!" She yelled angrily then stormed out of the bedroom. "It's not like that, Ann." He insisted and followed her.

"Oh that's 'exactly' what it is. Don't bother." She told him as she opened the front door. Ashley was sitting on the floor against the wall by the elevator. The blonde looked up at her. "Were leaving." Ann said simply and headed for the elevator. Ashley jumped to her feet. "Damn it! I'm talking to you!" Joker yelled in a menacing voice from the doorway. Ashley's eyes shot wide. Ann whirled around. "Well I'm THROUGH talking to you! You've made your priorities perfectly clear." She told him before turning and stepping into the elevator. Ashley looked back and forth between them before catching up to Ann. Ann's last sight of him was of him leaning against the door frame across from her as the elevator closed. The look on his face was almost sad.


	39. Chapter 39

The elevator ride was quiet. Ashley kept her mouth shut as Ann fumed on the other side of the small room. Once at the bottom Ann walked calmly and smoothly to her car and Ashley followed. Ann unlocked the car and tossed the weapons under the seat. Upon inspecting the coat pockets she was happy to find her credit and bank cards. But it wasn't enough to break her foul mood.

The first five minutes of the car ride were silent. Ashley had yet to gather the courage to ask about the fight. Finally she did. "So… What happened?" The blonde managed. "Stupid ass hole. It don't matter." Ann mumbled back. Ashley fidgeted a bit. "What'd he do?" She asked. "Nothing much. Just apparently fighting with Batman is more important than me." Ann told her. Ann then explained the contents of the fight to her. Ashley had an enlightened look on her face. "So what were you hoping he would do?" Ashley asked. Ann sighed.

"I dunno. I guess I assumed that since he'd been looking for me that we'd just disappear and have a life somewhere away from all the shit." Ann confessed. "I see. So you were hoping he'd agree to run away with you. That'd pretty much solve your problems with Bruce." Ashley commented, more to herself. "Yeah. But now I dunno what to do. I'm so pissed off! I can't believe that he'd rather stay here and basically destroy my life just to prove he's superior." Ann said, irritated as she checked her mirrors.

"Awe, shit."

Police sirens became audible as Ann looked in horror at the police car behind her flashing its red and blue lights. "What'd you do?!" Ashley yelled as Ann pulled over to the side of the street. "Mother fucking, bastard ass, son of a bitch!" Ann yelled and slammed her fist into the steering wheel. She put the car in first and then killed the ignition.

A few moments later the cop exited his car and walked up to her open window. "License and registration please ma'am." The officer asked her. Ann reached over to the glove box and got her insurance card and license out. She handed them to the officer. She was again thankful that she kept her license in her car instead of on her.

"Are you 'the' Mary Ann Giovanni?" He asked.

Oh thank God. He recognizes me.

"Yes." She said smiling sweetly at him. "Can you step out of the car please?" He told her. It didn't sound like a question to her. She frowned. That wasn't the response she had expected. She opened the car door and stepped out and closed it, looking very confused. "Turn around and put your hands on the car." He told her. "What?" "Hands on the car." He said more forcefully. She turned around and put her hands on the car. Ann glared at the hood of the car as the officer frisked her. Ashley face was in morbid shock when Ann glanced at her through the windshield. The cop hand cuffed her while reading her her rights then guided her to the police car. After sitting her in the back seat he returned to Ashley and arrested her as well.

Ann was fuming by the time the cop got into the driver seat of the car. "I demand to know why I'm being arrested. I wasn't even speeding! I've done nothing wrong!" She yelled. Ashley still had that horrified look on her face and her mouth was open in shock. "Sorry ma'am. Commissioner Gordon has put out a warrant for your arrest. The charges weren't specific." He told her. She was suddenly furious. "Whadda ya mean the charges weren't specific?! You can't just arrest someone for no reason! I have rights and I demand to know what I'm charged with!" She yelled. "If you don't stop yelling it'll be obstruction of justice." He told her. Her mouth dropped open. "You crooked son of a bitch! I'm going to sue you for everything your worth!" She yelled. He just turned the radio up. Ann glared at the back of his head through the metal screen.

Now 'that's' irony.

She sat forward and leaned her face right up behind his head. "Hey! What's goinna happen to my car!?" She screamed as loud as she could. He turned the radio down. "It's being towed." He told her. "Towed! You can't have it towed! I swear to God if they ruin my transmission I'll-" Her angry screams were drowned out by the sound of the radio once again.

A half hour later they arrived at the police station where they were finger printed and had their pictures taken. Then they were shoved into a holding cell. By now Ashley had gotten over her shock at being arrested. "What they hell did you do?!" The blonde yelled at Ann. Ann was sitting on one of the benches that were against the wall with her arms and legs crossed and her eyes closed. Her face was a careful mask of indifference. They were the only two in the cell, but there were other cells that were right next to theirs and they were only separated by steel bars. "I did nothing." Ann told the blonde. "I have NEVER been arrested before! I've NEVER been to JAIL before!" She yelled. Ann sighed. "Me either Ash." Ann told her. It seemed that, though Ann had had her fit of rage earlier, Ashley's was just now catching up to her.

Ashley finally grew out of her rage and plopped down on the bench next to Ann to wait. "They can't just arrest us and hold us in jail without telling us what were here for." Ashley told herself. "Well, apparently they are above the law." Ann commented without opening her eyes.

Ashley was silent a moment before tapping Ann on the arm. Ann ignored her, but her tapping became shaking. Finally Ann opened her eyes. "What!" She yelled at the blonde. Ashley was staring strait ahead and she just raised her arm and pointed. Ann looked to the other side of the cell to see Gordon standing next to none other than Bruce dressed in a stylish business suit. Even in her anger she had to admit that he looked good when he dressed up.

She silently let all her rage pour from her eyes as she glared at him. Gordon spoke first. He seemed uncomfortable and nervous. "I'm sorry Ann. Batman, apparently you know him, he contacted me and was very worried about you. He said you had recently been in some sort of accident, and asked me to have you picked up. He instructed to release you to Mr. Wayne here. He said that he would take care of you." Gordon told her. He looked incredibly annoyed and uncomfortable. Ann sighed and closed her eyes. "Apparently, the rights of an individual can now be overlooked because of the whims of a masked vigilante whom, may I remind the commissioner, that your 'officially' supposed to arrest on sight." Ann said in a calm voice.

Gordon sighed himself. "I know, and I normally wouldn't have gone along with something like this, but hearing that you may be in danger…. After you were kidnapped by the Joker I just felt the need to make sure you were safe." He told her. "I hope you'll forgive me. Neither of you will have anything on your records. I'll personally make sure of it. And your car is being brought up front. The transmission is still good, by the way." He said as he unlocked the door then walked away. Ann couldn't help but smirk at his last remark.

Apparently I made an impression.

Ashley nudged Ann then leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Remember. Sweet and innocent." She whispered as Bruce pulled the door open. Ann stood silently and walked out of the cell without even looking at him. Ashley smiled at Bruce then followed Ann.

Most of the police station stared at them as they walked out. This put Ann a little on edge. She wanted to yell at the on lookers. Finally they reached the door and she exited just in time to see her car being taken down off the tow truck.

"Thank God." Ann sighed in relief as she walked towards her car. Bruce stopped her by taking hold of her arm at the elbow. With his other hand he produced her keys and dangled them in the air, well out of her reach. She glared at him. "Take your hand off me." She told him. "You'll ride with me. Ashley can drive your car." He told her. She yanked her arm away from him. "You had me arrested! You ass hole! How dare you! Give me my keys! I'm not going anywhere with you." She told him. He shrugged. "It's either that or your car stays here and you both get to walk. And don't try to tell me that she can't drive a standard. I know she can." He told her.

She fumed. "I am DAMN sick of MEN! Fine!" She yelled in anger. Bruce tossed the keys to Ashley, whom looked a bit intimidated. He then gently took her arm and guided her around the corner to his steel colored Lamborghini. He opened the door for her then shut it once she got in the car.

Ten minutes into the drive back to his mansion Bruce finally decided to speak. "I'm sorry." He told her. She ignored him and stared out the window. She heard him sigh. "I told you I'd go farther to keep you safe." He told her. "I hardly need your protection, or your permission, to take a simple drive to the DMV." She told him hatefully without turning to face him. "Your not fully recovered yet." He told her. "I wasn't going to go jumping off of roof tops and shooting random rockets at people." She told him. "Never know with you. You attract trouble like the plague." He told her.

She leaned her head back against the seat, remembering Ashley's advice. "I just wanted out of that room. I needed some fresh air and I knew you'd never just let me walk out. And I remembered I had an appointment to take that test at the DMV. So I just went. I didn't think you'd freak out so bad." She told him.

He was silent for a minute. "I take it you passed?" He asked. "Yes." She said simply. "When do you take the driving test?" He asked. "They want me to take it at 3. But I guess that's out, huh." She commented.

He was silent another minute. Ann had the distinct feeling that he was debating something with himself. "Well, you've obviously healed more than I thought." He told her. "Pft. Obviously." She replied. He cleared his throat. "Had you simply asked, I'm sure I would have realized that." He told her. She glanced at him for a moment. It was obvious he was trying to smooth things over with her. He even seemed a bit anxious because she was so angry with him. Thinking back, she didn't think she had ever been that angry with him.

"I guess it can't be helped now. But you didn't have to get my ass arrested! Christ!" She yelled and slapped him in the arm. He smirked. "Being Batman has its advantages." He told her. She pursed her lips. "Yeah, I got that." She said and crossed her arms to give him an 'I'm still not happy with you' look.

He glanced at her to see her expression. "I'm sorry!" he said again. A moment went by. "Surely it wasn't that bad." He commented. "Not that bad? You had me arrested!" She said, though she was being a bit playful. He laughed. "I'm just sorry I missed your face when that cop arrested you." He told her. "My face wasn't that bad. Now Ashley's? That was something. She didn't get over her shock until we got to the police station." Ann replied laughing.

It wasn't long after that when they arrived at Bruce's mansion. He left the car parked in front of the door to his mansion. He leaned on his door as Ann got out and walked around the car. She stopped at the bottom of the steps to look back at him. She raised her eyebrows and looked back at him.

"You probably haven't eaten yet. You wanna go for some lunch?" He asked. She noted that her unusual slang was beginning to rub off on him. She looked at him skeptically. "It's okay. I'll cover it. Consider it an apology for earlier." He told her. "Well, okay." She told him as she began to walk back to her car door. "Naw, were not taking that." He told her. She frowned at him in confusion. "You have a test to take, remember? We have just enough time to go get some lunch. So let's go." He told her as he walked towards the back garage where he kept the old cars and motorcycles. She grinned and skipped to catch up with him. "Really? Your really goinna let me?" She asked as she walked sideways beside him. He slipped his hands in his pockets and smiled. "I dunno. You think your ribs can handle it?" He asked. She scoffed at him. "Of course." He glanced at her then reached out to lightly poke her in her side. She flinched and jerked away. "Ouch! What the hell?!" She yelled holding her ribs. He smirked. "Not too bad. I suppose it's passable." He told her. She glared at him. "I told you it was fine. You didn't have to poke me." She told him in an annoyed tone. He shrugged. "Had to be sure." He told her as they approached the garage.

Bruce unlocked the garage door then lifted it like he had before. Going to the small lock box he retrieved a set of keys and she watched as he went strait to the 250 Honda that he was letting her borrow for the test. He stood next to it and started the engine as she walked closer. She went through the list of what to do to start the bike as he pulled off his jacket and tie and tossed them onto another bike next to the Honda. He threw his leg over and then put on his sunglasses. She hastily braided her hair then got on the bike behind him. He handed something to her over his shoulder. It was a small grey pouch that had something in it. He smiled at her over his shoulder as she opened the bag to find a pristine pair of sunglasses. The lenses were tinted red and the frame was wiry and black. She'd never seen a pair of sunglasses quite like those before. She really liked them. "Happy late birthday." He told her over the engine. She smiled. "How did you know?" She yelled back. "Misa told me about a month ago." He informed her. He must have planned something for her birthday, but Joker had messed up his plans. She smiled, more about Joker's impeccable timing than anything. "Thank you!" She said happily. At least now she could actually look where they were going.

Minutes later they were on the road. It didn't take them long to get to the restaurant Bruce had in mind. It was a small Chinese buffet that was near the outer edge of the city. Ann enjoyed their meal. They ate quietly and quickly. Ann noticed that Bruce ate with chopsticks almost as flawlessly as she did. After he paid the bill it was 2:45. They got on the bike and headed for the DMV. Luckily, she had her license in her coat pocket from when she had been arrested.

At the DMV they were already ready for her when she showed up. Unlike earlier that morning, there were only a hand full of people there instead of a room full. The test was scheduled to start immediately. The instructor handed her a radio that he told her to clip to her shirt. He would give her directions from the car he would be following her in.

The test went well. He instructed her to turn and go through a nearby housing addition and onto the highway before back to the DMV. It lasted a lot longer than it felt. Once back at the DMV the instructor informed her that she had passed as he took back the radio and went inside. Ann followed.

Bruce was in the waiting room sitting in the corner. He looked at her as she walked past. His face seemed to be asking the question 'Well?'. She smiled and gave him a thumbs up. He smirked.

The instructor that tested her handed a few papers to the lady behind the counter who began typing on her computer. The lady asked her for her license. Ann handed it to her and she typed on the computer some more. The woman told her to sit in a chair in front of a large blue sheet of paper that was stuck to the wall on the other side of her desk. Ann sat in the chair and the lady took her picture. She clicked the computer a few times and a machine in the corner began to buzz. A few minutes later a new license popped out of a slot and the lady pulled it the rest of the way out of the machine and handed it back to Ann. Ann admired the 'M' on the front under the endorsement section and read the back that explained she was licensed to operate a motorcycle. She paid for the license with her bank card then went back to the waiting room.

Bruce was still waiting in the same spot as before. Excited, she ran over to show him her new license. He smiled at her excitement. "So how was your first ride by yourself?" He asked as they headed for the door. "It wasn't too bad. I don't think I did anything wrong at all." She told him. He smirked. "I meant, how'd it feel being on the road alone?" He asked. "Oh, awesome." She said.

"You wanna go look at dealerships now?" He asked. Her excitement doubled. "Sure!" It seemed her foul mood was beginning to fade away. They walked up to the bike. "I need the keys." He told her. She frowned. "Don't I get to drive?" She asked. Then she pictured Bruce on the back of the motorcycle as he gave her a look that said 'no way'. She laughed and handed him the keys. Somehow she couldn't really see him going along with it either.

.

.

.

.

By 6 o clock they had been to five different motorcycle dealers and not much had stricken her. Finally they were going to the Kawasaki dealer on the other side of town. She was a bit skittish though because the dealership was only a few miles away from her apartment and she wanted to avoid Joker.

Up until this point she had still considered them together, somewhat. Now she had no idea what she would do. She didn't want anything to do with him at the moment. She was still too angry with him. She didn't know if she'd get over their argument. But she couldn't exactly avoid him forever. He was staying in her apartment for God's sake. That's when she decided, she wouldn't be 'his' Shadow again until he was ready to drop his stupid war. Then she got angry again for ever letting herself be called 'his' to begin with.

All these thoughts took place on the back of the bike as they headed for the dealership. It was really the only time she could think about it without Bruce realizing something was wrong. So she enjoyed herself while looking at the bikes and fumed at Joker in her own mental world in between.

Once at the Kawasaki dealership she followed Bruce strait to the rows of bikes and bypassing the dealer that had walked up to greet them. She was glad of this. She didn't much like car dealers, and a motorcycle dealer was close to the same. The man in a red shirt and khakis frowned for a moment before following them. He proceeded to give Bruce information about any motorcycle they even glanced at. Ann could tell Bruce was getting annoyed when he began finishing the man's sentences for him. Apparently he knew the bikes better than the sales man did. After a few minutes of that the man changed tactics. "What kind of motorcycle are you interested in sir." Bruce shook his head. "Not me. Her." He told him and pointed at Ann. The sales man looked slowly to Ann, whom up until now he'd been ignoring.

Ann crossed her arms. "Can you show me the 250 Ninjas please?" She asked. The man nodded and she followed him to a section across the lot. She walked with Bruce as the man complimented the row of bikes they were walking by. So far not a lot of them had caught her attention. She liked a red one at the beginning but none leapt out at her. Towards the end she noticed one sitting apart from the others and walked over to it. It was beautiful. It looked a lot like the red one, but black with red pin stripes along the gas tank. "Oh, you probably wouldn't be interested in that." The man told her as he began to continue. "I'm interested. Now what is it?" She asked shortly. The man stopped. "That's our Kawasaki Ninja 250 Special edition." He told her. She walked around it and noticed that there was a bit of chrome along the sides that gave it a very stream line appearance. She threw her leg over and tested how it felt. Liking it even more she looked back to the man. "Can I test drive it?" She asked. The man looked back and forth between her and Bruce. "Um, of course." He told her. He walked to the office and came back with a set of labeled keys and a clip board. He took her information down from her license then handed her the keys.

She smiled and started it. The sound of the motor was beautiful. She loved it. It was low and deep. Pulling back the gas she listened to how it revved. Smiling she looked back to Bruce. "I'll just take it around the block." She told him. He leaned over her. "The gas is a bit different than the Honda. You don't have to pull it so far before it'll go." He told her. She smiled again and nodded. She put the bike in gear and then kicked up the kick stand. The bike rolled into motion and she drove it off the lot.

She was true to her word, and only took it around the block. But it was the best ride around the block she had ever had. She discovered that Bruce had been right. The Honda required you to turn the gas at least ¾ the way. And the Ninja only needed about a ¼. That made her a bit happy for some odd reason. She felt like she had more room to accelerate with the Ninja, even though she knew it was how the motor and transmission was, not the gas.

Pulling back into the lot she put it back in neutral and put the kickstand down then cut the engine. "I love it. This is the one." She told Bruce. He smirked at her. "I'll take it." She told the sales man.

A whole hour later they walked out of the dealership and to their bikes. Bruce had been silent nearly the whole time in the dealership and let her negotiate for the price. She got the feeling that he didn't like the whole 'dealership' experience and that he had been through it plenty of times. After transferring the funds from her bank to their account and getting a formal bill of sale and receipt they fitted her new bike with a paper tag that gave her 30 days to get a real one. She also had 30 days to get insurance for the bike. So she could drive it legally off the lot and 'home'. She was exasperated from dealing with the sales man, but excitement flooded through her when she realized she would get to ride it by herself all the way to Bruce's mansion. This made her happy.

Bruce started his Honda and got on as she did the same with her Ninja. "I'll let you lead." She hollered at him as he put his bike in gear. He nodded and began to go. She did the same and followed him to the road where they turned. Thankfully she already had an idea of how to travel in pairs on bikes, thanks to the stupid DMV manual. She was floating on air nearly the whole way to his mansion until she realized that he was going under the speed limit. Frowning she gassed it and got up beside him and then revved her motor. He smirked and shook his head. She continued taunting him, trying to get him to go faster up until they got close to the turn into the drive. A bit put out she hit the back brakes and slowed down quickly to let him back in the lead.

They turned into the driveway to see that Ashley was reclining on the hood of Ann's car. Her head jerked up at the sound of the bikes. As soon as she caught sight of Ann her face lit up. They pulled up in front of the car and parked then they killed the engines. "Oh my God! You got a bike! He let you take the test? I told you sucking up would work!" Her sentences all ran together from her excitement. Bruce gave her a look at the last sentence and her eyes went wide realizing that she had slipped in front of him. Ann smirked. Bruce shook his head.

"Why you out here anyways?" Ann asked. "Oh, the door was locked. And I didn't think you'd want me going anywhere in your car. So…" "Shit. I'm sorry. Alfred's out today. So I locked it." Bruce told her. Ann and Ashley both looked at him in slight disbelief.

Did he just say shit?

Hahaha

"Bruce, you just said shit." Ann told him. He rolled his eyes. "I'm allowed to curse too." He said as he walked to the door and unlocked it. Ashley snickered and they followed him inside. Ann made sure to take the bike keys with her. Ashley handed her the keys to her car once they were inside. "So I take it you guys made up?" Ashley whispered to her. "Yeah." Ann replied under her breath. "Well we should celebrate then!" Ashley said excitedly. Ann gave her confused look. She felt a scheme in play here. "You've lost your senses, Ash." Ann told her. Ashley gave her a hurt look. "No seriously. You've had a bad day. We should go relax in the hot tub." The blonde suggested. Ann gave her a suspicious look. "Okay, I guess. Couldn't hurt anyways." She said slowly before she turned to go up to her room to change. "You guys have fun." Bruce commented casually from the other side of the room. "Oh wait a minute, Bruce, your not goinna join us?" The blonde asked seconds later. "There it is. I knew you had an angle." Ann said dryly as she glanced back at her friend. "Sorry Ashley. I'm just a bit behind in my paperwork." Bruce said while shuffling through a stack of papers on the nearby couch. "But we wouldn't dream of relaxing in your hot tub without 'you'. It's wouldn't be polite of us as guests." Ashley told him. Bruce glanced up at her over the paper work. Ann folded her arms. "Ash, you know dang well you've been in that hot tub more than once since we've been staying here." Ann told her. Ashley's face went red. "Well, see, I've come to realize that was rude. And I'm amending myself right now. And I- uh, I can't exactly do that if Bruce doesn't get in the hot tub too." Ashley said quickly. Ann rolled her eyes. She had to hand it to Ashley. At least she was good at thinking on her feet. Ann heard Bruce sigh from across the room. "Okay." He said in a tired voice. Ann rubbed her nose and Ashley let out a squeak of excitement and hopped up and down excitedly. "You'll never get anywhere if you keep letting her have her way, ya know." Ann commented while watching her friend bob up and down. "I guess I'm just a softie." He commented without looking up at her. Moments later Ann was grabbed by the wrist and dragged upstairs.

She stood in front of the mirror of her bathroom ten minutes later. She prodded at the healing hole in her shoulder before dabbing away the slow leak of blood that was still seeping from the wound. Annoyed she lightly re- bandaged and wrapped the wound. She skipped out on putting bandages back around her ribs and chest though. They were restrictive, and in her opinion, unnecessary.

Moments later Ashley stuck her head around the corner. "Hey, just makin sure you didn't decide to try to sneak off." The blonde informed her. Ann frowned at her. "I hope causing extra problems for me is making your evening enjoyable." She commented before taking another look at herself in the mirror of the bathroom, then following Ashley out of the suite and down to the pool room.

~Joker~

He watched as Ashley dragged Ann by her wrist into the glass enclosed pool room. Wayne was already lounging in the hot tub. He looked almost asleep until the girls entered the room. Ashley tossed her towel into a chair before doing a cannon ball into the hot tub water, despite it being shallow compared to the nearby pool. Ann stood for a moment with her towel in front of her. She looked to be using it as a shield to block the view of her body. Finally she tossed the towel in another chair before elegantly walking to the hot tub and easing herself into the hot water before sitting away from the other two and crossing her arms. Apparently she was annoyed about something.

Joker pulled the binoculars away from his face to gloat. "Ha. He'll never get anywhere with her. Look, this is pathetic. He's even got your girlfriend trying to hook them up." Joker said before nudging Devon. Devon gave a huff of annoyance and continued to ignore him. The two men were sitting on the stone wall that went around the property. Devon, however, was facing away from the mansion and the scene Joker was so intent to watch, kicking his feet back and forth in a combination of boredom and anxiety. "This is ridiculous. The only thing your goinna accomplish this way is piss her off more." Devon commented. Joker, who had gone back to his spying, pulled the binoculars away from his face a second time. "Well I wouldn't have to if she hadn't stormed out all pissed off." Joker said in an annoyed tone before resuming his spying. Devon scoffed. "Well if you hadn't pissed her off, she wouldn't have stormed out." He replied. Joker dropped the arm holding the binoculars. "Well if she hadn't asked all those annoying questions then she wouldn't have gotten pissed off." Joker said, beginning to get angry. Devon rolled his eyes. "If you had told her the truth to begin with she wouldn't have been asking questions." He mumbled before turning away again. Joker wasn't sure, but he though her heard something about 'obsessive clown' being muttered under Devon's breath. Joker glared at the back of his head before smoothly raising his arm and smacking him off the wall. Devon let out a yelp of surprise just before he hit the ground with a thud. "Damn it! Stop doing that!" He yelled. "Stop pissin me off, then." Joker replied before resuming his spying. Again. "Fine!" Devon yelled as he turned and began walking back to the van. "Keep playing your little games with her! If she never wants to see you again, it's your own damn fault." He said as he stalked off. Joker threw his head back to look at the dark night sky in annoyance. Suddenly he threw down the binoculars with a growl and they slammed into a nearby rock, breaking. He then hopped off the wall to stalk back to the waiting van with a string of curses.

~Ann~

She was currently sitting in the hot steamy water of Bruce's hot tub. Distinctly on the other side of said hot tub. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was pointedly avoiding eye contact with both individuals sharing the water with her. She remembered what happened the 'last' time she found herself in a hot tub with a guy. Not like that could happen now. Not only was Bruce most definitely 'not' Joker, but Ashley was present as well. She was sure, however, that if Ashley decided to make herself scares Bruce would do something crazy, like try to talk about her fight with Joker. Or, God forbid, her relationship with him.

Sighing she let herself sink down to her nose in the water and finally began to relax a bit. Ashley was chattering on about something that she must have thought very interesting, and Bruce was pretending to listen to her. All the while, however, he was looking in Ann's direction. "Something wrong Ann?" Bruce asked when Ashley was between sentences. Ann rose out of the water and reached over to pick up the half empty wine glass she had sat down earlier. Alfred had brought them a bottle of red wine awhile back, and she was enjoying it to the fullest. "No. I'm fine." She said before sipping the slightly tart liquid. "Yeah, you've been really quiet since we got down here. You sure your okay?" Ashley asked. Ann was sorely tempted to point out that 'she' was the only one 'not' being quiet. But why spoil her blissful ignorance? "I'm fine." Ann told the blonde. Ashley glided effortlessly over to sit next to Ann. "Your still pissed off about earlier, huh?" She said in what was supposed to be a whisper, but was slightly louder than Ann would have liked. Ann ground her teeth. "I don't know what you mean, Ashley." Ann said before giving her a pointed look then taking a drink of her wine. Ashley's eyes narrowed. "You need to loosen up." She said before suddenly splashing her friend, causing the hot water to invade the wineglass she had been drinking from. Ann sputtered before giving the wine glass that was now full of red tinted water, a look of annoyance. She then shifted her gaze to Ashley before dumping the contents of the glass over her head. She then went back to ignoring them with her arms crossed.

"She's just had a hard day." Bruce said defending her. "She needs to relax. Not get all worked up from you teasing her." He told the blonde. "Wasn't that the whole point of the hot tub?" Ann muttered under her breath. "Of course it was! But your not letting it do its job." Ashley chided before grabbing her by the wrist and yanking her across the water. The blonde pulled Ann to where she was sitting beside Bruce. She then climbed out of the hot tub to sit behind her. "What the hell do you think your doing woman?" Ann barked, annoyed. "Just shut up and relax." Ashley told her before she grasped her by the shoulders and began rubbing the tension away from them. Ann's back suddenly went rigid at how good Ashley's massaging felt on her shoulders. Not long after that her back lost its rigidity and slowly caved in and she leaned back against the wall of the hot tub. Ann couldn't remember the last time she had had a massage. It felt heavenly. Slowly she closed her eyes and tilted her head to each side, earning a loud and definitive crack each time. Unknown to her, Bruce was giving her a surprised look. As if he didn't know her neck could crack that way.

She wasn't sure how long it had been when she felt the water beside her stir, indicating that Bruce was moving. Mentally shrugging it off she ignored him. At the moment she didn't give a damn what he was doing. A few minutes later Ashley paused in her massage, jolting Ann back to the real world. She had nearly fallen asleep. Only moments after it stopped, however, the massage resumed. Something about it was different though. She was a bit rougher than she had been before. But it felt amazing. Groaning, Ann arched her back. This brought on a few short cracks similar to the ones her neck made. Seconds later she felt the water near her stir a second time. That meant that Bruce had returned from whatever he was doing.

Wait a minute…..

She slowly opened her eyes and glanced next to her to see her blonde friend sipping on a glass of wine. Ashley smiled and waved at her happily. Ann's face fell. "I hate you." Was all she had to say. Before she could protest or yell Bruce quickly dug his thumbs into her back and moved them in circles. His plan worked. She arched her back again with a groan. "Ashley." Ann muttered. The blonde glanced back at her. "Hmm?" She asked. "I'm goinna get you for this." Ann told her, eyes still shut. "Oh, I don't doubt it." The blonde replied in her usual perky voice.

Later, Bruce had stopped that massage a long time ago. But it had definitely put her in a better mood than she had been in before. The muscles that had been tense for so long were relaxed and comfortable. Bruce's massage had really done wonders, with a little help from Ashley who got it started.

After saying a final 'good night' to the two of them Ann climbed the stairs to the second floor then lumbered into her room. She dried herself off and collapsed into her bed. The heat of the hot water had drained her energy.

Ann woke with a start from the images of burning bodies and death. It was the same scene she had awoken from the other day. She sat up in bed and held her head in her hands for a few minutes before looking at the clock by her bed. It told her it was 2:00 am. Sighing she laid back down and rolled over on her side, earning her a few moments of dull pain from her ribs. Closing her eyes, she tried to go back to sleep, only to have her mind go over her fight with Joker. Groaning she rolled over again. Her ribs burned and she growled in annoyance. A full ten minutes later she gave up trying to sleep and clawed her way out of bed. She was still in her bathing suit. At some point she must have found her way under the thick covers of the bed. The sheets were wet where she had been laying, and her hair was still damp.

She took the time to change out of the bathing suit and into some dry panties and a bra before slipping on a sleek night gown. The gown had been a present from Misa back when Joker had made his disappearing act some months earlier. It was a midnight blue color silk that showed off her strong shoulders and fit her curves nicely. The hem of the gown ended just above her ankles. Along the hem of the gown and the neck line was a lace border that was a lighter shade of blue.

Ann hadn't really meant to put the gown on, but it was the first thing she found that was comfortable to wear, and she was in no mood to dig through her suitcase for something else. She had even managed to find it in the dark. Fumbling for the door she opened it then headed downstairs. There was only one thing that would help her sleep.

Once downstairs she headed straight for the bar in the adjoining lounge. But as she stepping through the door she froze upon seeing Bruce already there. She groaned inwardly when he looked up at her, meaning it was too late to change her mind and back away from the door before he saw her.

Maybe this was a bad idea.

She pursed her lips. "I figured you'd be out patrolling the night for signs of Joker or something." She commented as she leaned against the doorway from fatigue. Unbeknownst to her the look of her leaning there in the thin night gown made her look incredibly sexy to Bruce, who was now giving her his undivided attention. He frowned slightly at the mention of Joker. "Were on a truce at the moment." He told her before taking a long drink of what looked to be scotch on the rocks. Somewhere Ann knew it was a bad idea, but she walked over to the bar and sat next to him for a moment before she asked about his comment. "A truce because of me?" She asked after a moment. He looked at her and nodded. He suddenly slid a glass her way and filled it half full of scotch. She quirked an eyebrow at his choice of 'poison' before gratefully taking the glass and tilted it back to let the warm liquid flow down her throat. The scotch was gone in a matter of moments. Bruce smirked at her as she sat the glass back on the counter and shook her head slightly. "You don't know much about scotch, do you." It wasn't a question. She slid the glass back towards him, hoping he'd fill it again. "Never had it before." She commented. His smile grew a bit wider. "You don't down it all in one go." He told her as he poured more liquid in the glass. "You take your time with it." He slid the glass back to her. She frowned. "Why on earth would you want to do that?" She asked before tipping up the glass again. This time she only drank half its contents before sitting it back on the bar. "Some people don't drink to get smashed. They take their time with it, enjoying ever sip." He explained before finishing off his glass and pouring more for himself. She scoffed. "I'd enjoy myself more if I were able to sleep." She told him. "Ah. Were both night people. It's unavoidable." He commented. She finished off the second half of her glass and he automatically poured her more.

She was starting to feel the alcohol and she let it take her as the buzz got a bit stronger. She leaned her elbow on the counter, propping her head up on her hand. "So, you wanna tell me why you had such a problem sleeping?" He asked after a few minutes of silence. Something told her he already knew. "Why would I tell you that?" She asked. He shrugged. She was silent a minute, debating with herself. She sighed. What could it hurt? "I had an argument with Joker." She admitted before taking another drink herself. He winced visibly. "I don't understand why your still with him." He commented. She scowled at him. "I'm not. Not anymore." She paused for a moment. "Technically, I never really was." He looked slightly angry all of a sudden. "So, you just let him walk all over you. And for what? Nothing." He said somewhat bitterly. She glared at him. "No! I didn't just 'let' him. It just happens. A lot." Her voice began dying towards the end of her sentence. Suddenly the conversation seemed sour to her. He finished what was left of his drink. "You really think he cares about you? Ha. He's playing you for a fool." He told her without looking her way.

A vision from her argument with Joker flashed through her mind. Angry and suddenly very spiteful she threw the remaining contents of her drink in his face. She glared at him a moment more before getting up from her seat and walking out of the room.

He waited a moment before his patience with himself ran out and he threw his glass to smash against the opposite wall. He then stood and hurried after her. He caught up to her in the next room and tried to grasp her by the wrist, but she jerked her arm free. "Ann. Ann I'm sorry." He tried again to grab her arm but she jerked out of his grip and whipped her arm around in an attempt to back hand him in the face. He dodged her by quickly leaning backwards. "Go to hell. What makes you think you know anything about me? Much less my relationships?" She spun and continued away from him, intent on getting as far from him as possible. Had she been thinking more clearly she probably would have gone straight for the front door. But at the moment she was too angry and tipsy to think of going anywhere but up to her bedroom.

He stood a bit shocked for a moment before following her again. He caught back up with her at the bottom of the stairs. He managed to snatch her by the arm and force her to stop. She whirled around on the second step to face him at eye level, since he's taller. "What? What the hell do you want from me, Bruce? Why do you insist on caring so much? What do you want?" She asks in an exhausted tone. He stared at her a moment. "Just for once I want to know your not thinking of 'him' when your kissing me." He confessed.

Somehow his confession made her feel incredibly guilty, thinking back on all the times she allowed him to kiss her only to pull away in sudden shock when Joker came crashing through her mind.

She took a step forward so that they were standing closer. She could feel his breath on the bridge of her nose. Even when she was standing on the second step, he was still slightly taller. He just stared at her a moment, debating with himself what her intentions were. Only moments earlier she had tried to slap him. When he realized she was waiting he took a small step forward and pulled her body to him. Her breath increased slightly but she was determined to prove to herself and to Bruce that the Joker does not rule her life or her thoughts. He never once crossed her mind as Bruce slowly dipped his head down and she allowed their lips to lightly touch. After a moment she felt his tongue brush against her lips and she opened her mouth slightly allowing him to continue. She slowly ran her hands up his sides and he pulled her body tighter against his. Giving in all the way, somewhere in the back of her mind she realized that this could quickly get out of hand. But with the combination of her buzz and how good kissing him made her feel, she let it go on.

A minute flew by and she broke the kiss to lean her head on his shoulder as he held her. Her mind was still processing everything even as her heart accelerated. He glanced down at her and she looked back up into his eyes. What she saw could be counted as close to madness. Madness for her. But his restraint managed to keep him in control. But not for long. Craving the feel of her lips on his she let herself give in to him and she brushed her lips against his again. Seconds into the kiss and he began walking forward, effectively backing her up until her back reached the wall alongside the stairs. He deepened the kiss and she groaned into his mouth at the sensation. At this point she didn't care anymore about restraint, or her situation, or anything else. A familiar ache filled her and she kissed him back fervently.

Seconds turned to minutes as their make out session continued. Bruce seemed to get more desperate the longer he kissed her. Finally she broke the kiss, gasping for breath. He leaned his weight on his hands against the wall on either side of her and leaned his forehead on her shoulder. To Ann, it looked like he was staring at the floor, or down her gown. She couldn't be sure which. But it was probably the former of the two. Her mind had only begun contemplating this when he moved. She yelped as he picked her up and she was thrown over his shoulder. "Bruce! What the hell?!" She yelled as he began climbing the stairs. Each step caused her to bounce. "Put me the hell down!" She yelled at him. She lightly pounded her fists into his back. The realization that she had an excellent view of his ass stopped her complaints.

They reached the top of the stairs and then the bedrooms where they all slept. A pang of slight shock swept through her as she realized what he was planning. But she was surprised when he bypassed both her room and his. After he passed, the door to Ashley's room opened slightly and the blonde poked her head out to stare at the two of them walk away. She flashed Ann a big cheesy grin and gave her a thumbs up. An glared at her and flipped her off just as Bruce rounded the far corner and they were out of view. "Where are you taking me?" She asked him as he walked down the hallway. He was silent. "Bruce!" Still nothing. She sighed and tried to push herself up to see where they were headed. He bounced slightly causing her to fall back. "This isn't funny! Put me down!" When he continued ignoring her protests she shrieked in frustration and gave up. After a few silent minutes she was thoroughly lost. She had begun trying to figure out what part of the house they were in. But it was useless. Her thoughts were interrupted when he began climbing more stairs. She frowned slightly. She had never been on the third story of the mansion before.

After reaching the top of the stairs Bruce continued for a few minutes around several more corners before finally coming to a closed door. He opened it with his free hand and carried her inside before pushing it shut behind him. Ann tried to look up over his shoulder but could see nothing of the room. She was interrupted when he put her back on her feet. She stumbled slightly from the vertigo and tipsiness before looking around the room.

It was huge, literally taking up twice the space of her old apartment. The walls were a sparkly light blue with gold trim. One whole wall of the room was a floor to ceiling glass window. There was a pair of sliding glass doors that led out onto a balcony that over looked the property beyond the mansion. On one side of the room closer to the door there was a lounge area with a couch and recliner, both facing a huge flat screen tv on the wall. On the other side was a large oak desk with a top of the line computer sitting on top, along with a stack of folders and papers. There were also several pictures. In the middle of the room was a large bed with dark blue silk sheets silken curtains flowed from the ceiling around the head of the bed. She stood in slight awe of the room as she looked around.

She was startled out of her awe when he wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck. She sagged a bit under his weight but relaxed in his arms. It was amazing how he could flip her moods around so quickly.

His nuzzling at her neck turned to kissing rather quickly and she tilted her head to give him a better angle. He gently grasped her by the chin and tilted her face up to meet her lips with his. Seconds later they fell back together onto the bed.


	40. Chapter 40

Prelude to:

~Broken: Unyielding Beast~

Sunlight streamed through the windows to bathe the overly large room in an almost eerie golden glow. There was the familiar weight of an arm draped around her waist. Groaning she shifted slightly.

Ugh. When did Jak creep in here?

She couldn't believe the nerve of him, sneaking in there when she was this mad at him. Ann slowly opened her eyes, squinting as her eyes adjusted. Her eyes landed on what 'should' have been the ceiling above her bed. But what she saw instead definitely wasn't the ceiling she had been expecting. Instead she was greeted by silky white flowing fabric that trailed off to the sides of her view. Frowning she propped herself up on her elbows to take a better look around her. She suddenly gasped.

No. That was a dream. It didn't really happen.

She slowly turned to look at the sleeping man next to her. At her movement Bruce had rolled over onto his back, his head tilted away from her against the pillow. He was obviously still sleeping. A small smile played on his lips.

Oh Lord help me. That wasn't a dream.

"So he does sleep." She mumbled. She let her eyes rove over him. The thin bed sheets just barely covered him from his waist to his knees. The sheets had obviously been ignored for the majority of their tumble. Her eyes slowly traveled from his chest down to his chiseled abs then to his lower stomach where the sheets met his skin.

Shit, he's still naked.

Her eyes widened slightly. She slowly looked down at her own body, still wrapped in the parts of the sheets that weren't covering Bruce.

Shit, I'm still naked!

She spotted her discarded gown on the floor near the bed. She had to get out of there. She began to reach for the gown, but it was too far. She realized that in order to reach it, she would either have to get out of the sheets or pull them off Bruce. Considering that he was still asleep and she wasn't she decided to leave the sheets where they were, namely covering up him so she couldn't see.

A moment of ironic appreciation flashed through her as she remembered saying something along the lines of 'who cares if he's watching. I hope he gets a good show'. She had told Akira that when she strolled naked through her apartment and her alter ego had reminded her that Joker could be watching her. She wondered what had ever happened to that attitude.

That's exactly why I have to get away from here. I don't know who I friggin am anymore!

She quickly untangled herself from the sheets and grabbed her gown. She hastily pulled it on, not even bothering to look for her panties.

I have to get away from here. I have to get away from them both!

**Just calm down. It's not the end of the world.**

Ann stopped just short of the door and hesitantly turned to look back at his sleeping form. For a brief moment she wondered what it would be like to lay there with him and watch him wake up. She shook her head and turned back to the door. A pang of guilt shot through her.

No. I hate to do this to him. But I can't stay here.

She opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. Her feet were cold on the marble floor as she hurried down the hall. The combination of the foreign gold and white walls and the cold floor beneath her feet made her feel very alone and alien. Somehow she managed to find her way back to the stairs leading to the second story of the mansion, even though he had taken several turns that she hadn't really been paying attention to. She descended the stairs to the second floor and hurried to her room.

She hastily dressed in a pair of pants, a tank top, her boots, and leather jacket. Remembering her weapons were still in her car she skipped the self-arming step and went straight to grabbing anything she thought she may need. She grabbed some of Misa's clothes and some of her own. Thankfully they were all already folded. She laid them on the bed. Seeing that the only things she really needed at the moment was clothes, car keys, and money. Thanks to Joker, she had all three. She was suddenly immensely glad that she had gone to her apartment the day before and found her trench coat, boots, and belt.

Shit. I have to take Ashley. At least for the moment.

**What? Why?**

Because I'm not leaving my motorcycle here. And I have to have the car.

**Aah. Well, better wake her up then.**

Cursing, Ann slipped next door to find the blonde sleeping soundly. Ann shook her, quietly telling her to wake up. Ashley rolled over and wearily opened her eyes. "Ann? What's wrong. It's like 7 in the morning." The blonde informed her. Ann growled. "I know what time it is. Get dressed. I need your help." Ashley immediately sat up. It wasn't often that Ann came right out and asked for help. "What's going on? Is it Joker? What'd he do?" She asked, suddenly scared. "Nothing. He doesn't know. But I have to leave now." Ann told her.

Ashley's face perked up. "So you 'did' hook up!" She said ecstatically, referring to Bruce carrying her down the hall the night before. Ann sighed and rubbed her nose. "Yes. Now hurry the hell up. I'll explain everything later. Your driving my car so I don't have to leave my bike here." Ashley frowned at this. "Wait, your not coming back?" She asked in dismay. "Later Ashley." Ann warned before returning to her own room to continue grabbing things she needed.

A few minutes later Ashley slipped into her room. "Should I pack my stuff too?" She asked. Ann shrugged. "Depends on if you wanna come back." Ann told her. "So I can go back to my- your old apartment with Dev?" She asked. Ann looked at her seriously. "I think you can start calling it yours now Ash. And yeah, you can." Ann told her. Ashley nodded. "Course I'm sure Bruce would let you come back for your clothes and stuff. I'm kinda in a hurry." Ashley nodded again. "Okay. I'll come back for my stuff." She told her. "Okay. Then can you take these clothes down to my car and then meet me at Misa's place." Ann told her as she handed Ashley the keys. Ashley gave her a small smile before nodding again and scooping up the small pile of clothes and headed out the door. Ann sighed and looked around the room to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

Satisfied, she left the room and headed downstairs. Her motorcycle was still parked at the bottom of the stairs, right next to Bruce's. They had never gotten around to putting them up the night before. Another pang of guilt assaulted her as she pictured the two of them rolling their bikes into the garage together.

This is not my place.

She stood next to her brand new bike and marveled at it for a moment.

I wouldn't have gotten it without him.

Now she knew, every time she rode it, she'd think of him. She exhaled slowly before starting the bike and letting it warm up for a few minutes. While she was waiting for the bike's motor to warm up she lit a cigarette (because she was particularly stressed at the moment) called Misa and inform her that they were coming over. Hopefully that would eliminate the possibility of having to deal with Maroni. She was already starting to form an idea of how she would have to do this in order for it to work. She was a little bit anxious now that the bike had roared to life. Knowing that Bruce's bedroom was a bit open to the elements made her nervous that he would hear it. His balcony being on the opposite side of the 3 story building made her feel a bit better though. By the time she was off the phone the bike was ready. It had only taken 5 minutes at the most. She threw her leg over the bike and smoothly guided it into motion and finally out the gates of the mansion.

Ann was happy to see that Ashley had already arrived at Misa's place when she pulled into the driveway. The garage door was open and Ann's Camaro was parked neatly inside it. Ann pulled her bike into the garage between her own car and Misa's. Once the engine was off she closed the garage door then entered the house. Ann found Misa in the kitchen cooking some breakfast. Ashley was sitting at the nearby kitchen table. Ann knew Misa had already been awake. Ashley, however, was deep into a cup of coffee; most likely her second or third.

No one said a word as Ann took a seat at the table. Now that she was out of Bruce's mansion she wasn't so worried about time management. She did need to inform the both of them of the situation. But she figured to at least eat breakfast first, since Misa was already cooking it.

"So you slept with Bruce." Misa commented from the kitchen as she flipped the bacon. Ann visibly winced at the tone of her voice. It obviously wasn't a question. Ann shot a glare at Ashley, who was already shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders. "How did you know?" Ann asked, since Ashley was silently defending herself. "I figured it out. I thought you'd freak out if you ever let yourself sleep with him before your 'clown friend' was completely out of your life. Since he obviously isn't, and your freaking out. So you slept with Bruce." Misa elaborated, poking the bacon again with a fork. Ann let her head thump against the table.

Ashley's eyes widened as she looked at Misa. "Wow. I didn't know she could do that." Ashley whispered to Ann. Ann raised her head. "There's a reason she's my best friend." Ann said in a normal voice, ignoring the blonde's attempts at secrecy. "How'd you know she'd ever get that far with him? I mean, she was a little overbearing with the fact she was trying to avoid him." Ashley asked. Misa laughed. "She was so 'overbearing' because she actually wanted to but wouldn't allow herself because it would complicate everything. And she was likely 'more' overbearing when others were present. But I knew she'd give into it eventually if she was stuck around him long enough. There's obviously an attraction between them. Also, she's a bit, um, 'prone' to bad judgments when she's been drinking." Misa explained.

Damn it. Am I that transparent?

Ann scoffed and crossed her arms. "I was hardly drunk, Misa." Ann commented, trying to save a little of her pride. "Ah, but you 'had' been drinking. Otherwise you'd have said that you weren't." Misa told her. Ann felt like a child at the moment. 'She' was usually the one that figured people out. She hated it when Misa did it to her. Misa walked out of the kitchen carrying two plates. She put them in front of Ashley and Ann before going back and retrieving her own plate and coming back to sit at the table with them. The trio dug into their breakfast.

"So I'm guessing your going to disappear for a while?" Misa asked when she was between bites. Ann nodded. "That's why I'm here at your place. Your obviously goinna have to run Nightshade for a while. I will want reports on everything though. And no new business deals without my approval." Ann told her. Misa nodded. "What about me?" Ashley asked. Ann finished the bit of eggs that were in her mouth. "You get to play courier." Ann told her. "Courier?" Ashley asked hesitantly.

* * *

 

~Ashley~

An hour later Ashley was in the elevator of Ann's apartment complex on her way to deliver a letter to Jak. Ashley was being cleaver about it though. The elevator stopped at Ann's floor. Ashley bent down without getting out of the elevator and slid the envelope across the small reception room's floor. The envelope neatly slid under the door's to Ann's apartment as Ashley quickly pushed the button to close the doors. The elevator closed just as the door to Ann's apartment opened and Joker stepped out into the hall. All she had seen was his purple clad arm, so she was fairly certain that he hadn't seen her. One thing was for sure. She did notwant to be there when he read that letter.

* * *

 

~Ann~

She was sitting on Misa's couch with her feet propped up on the coffee table. Normally she wouldn't do that, but at the moment her boots were off and she was digging through them looking for Bruce's supposed bug. She'd been at it for almost a half hour and still hadn't found a thing. By now Ashley had probably delivered the letter and should be on her way to the motorcycle accessory shop that Ann had sent her to. She was hoping that by sending her on an extra errand it would throw Joker off her trail a bit, just in case he followed her. But she also needed the blonde to get her a helmet so she could keep anyone from seeing her face when she had it on. The added safety of having it was a bonus. Bruce was probably awake by now. So that meant he could use that tracking thing of his anytime. So long as he didn't come looking for her before she found the tracker and found a way to use it as a decoy she was good. She didn't know if he would really come looking for her or not. Hopefully as long as he thought he could still track her he wouldn't look for her. But the damn plan wouldn't work if she couldn't find the damn bug.

"Try under the soles." Misa suggested. Ann sighed. "He didn't cut the rubber open, there'd be a seam." Ann told her. Misa shook her head. "Not those soles." Misa said as she picked up the other boot. "The in-soles." She told her before digging inside the boot for a moment then pulling out the thin comforting insole that every shoe has. She then tipped the boot upside down. Ann's mouth dropped when a small computer chip looking object clattered onto the floor. "You better check the other one too. Just in case." Misa commented before handing her the boot. Ann did and sure enough, another computer chip device fell out, proving that Bruce was thorough. Smiling Ann picked up the two little chips.

Next she wrote out a letter to Bruce. She explained that she was confused and she needed time to figure out what she was going to do and apologizing for leaving him in bed before he woke up.

Now that 'that' was done, she could focus on where she was going to stay. She obviously couldn't stay with Misa or Ashley. Joker and Bruce both knew those places. Ann briefly considered leaving the State, or even the country. That thought passed just as quickly as it came. No, she had to stay close to her company. "So were you looking for some place like your current apartment, or do you want something a little less noticeable?" Misa asked from the kitchen table. Ann looked over the back of the couch to see Misa was on her computer. Ann stood and walked over to look over her shoulder. "Definitely less noticeable." Ann told her. Misa flipped through a few pages looking at random apartments up for rent. About that time Ashley walked in. "Hey." She said in a chipper voice as she held up a black full faced helmet. "Perfect Ash. Thanks." Ann said as she took the helmet from the blonde. "The guy said if it didn't fit I could come back and exchange it for a different size. Oh- and lookie what else I got." She opened a paper bag that she had been carrying in the other hand. She pulled out a long wig that was a similar color to Ann's hair. Ann gave her a strange look. "I figured it might come in handy if Joker or Bruce show up here looking for you before you leave." Ashley explained. "Speaking of Joker, how'd it go?" Ann asked as she inspected her new helmet. "Pretty good. I got outta there before he saw me. And no one followed me. I drove around down town in circles a few times to make sure." Ann nodded. "He'll show up here eventually. And I think you just gave me an idea of how to get some of my stuff without him even knowing about it." Ann said as she looked at the wig.

Two hours later Misa had found Ann an apartment on the outer edge of the city. It wasn't the slums but it wasn't the best part of town either. But Ann was reasonably sure she wouldn't run into Joker by accident. It was close to a housing edition and only a few blocks from a nearby grocery store. The neighborhood was actually pretty good. Not run down or in disrepair. Meaning it would be one of the least likely places Joker would put a hideout.

By now Ann was reasonably sure that either Joker or his men were watching Misa's house. She was sure of this because about a half hour after Ashley delivered the letter a plain white van had shown up and parked down the street. And it still hadn't moved. Ann was damned determined to have a select few things from her apartment. And the easiest way to get them was for Joker to be away when she showed up.

Ashley had just put on the red wig and was looking at herself in the mirror. "Do you think we should change clothes?" Ashley asked. Ann rolled her eyes. "All he's goinna see is the car and the red hair if you do this right. Just don't get out of the car for anything." Ann told her. Ashley nodded as she followed Ann to the garage and Misa followed.

Ann braided her hair and put on the black helmet. She buckled it then raised the shatterproof face guard then stood in the corner to wait for Ashley and Misa. Ashley got into Ann's car and started the engine. At the same time Misa opened the garage door. Ashley backed out and drove away then Misa shut the door and ran to the living room to peek out the window. Sure enough, the van pulled away from its parking spot and began to follow. Misa ran back to the garage to see that Ann already had the bike started. Misa opened the garage door again and Ann walked the bike out of the garage. Misa pulled her car out and then pushed a button on a remote control that closed the garage door behind them.

Misa was scheduled to go to Ann's soon to be newest apartment and examine it and pay the landlord. Ann had given Misa access to her accounts months earlier when she worked out the power of attorney agreement that gave Misa power over Nightshade if Ann was ever killed, put in a coma, or temporarily absent.

While Misa was paying the landlord Ann would be at her soon to be old apartment packing her clothes and anything else that would fit that she was attached too, such as her knives and katana. Everything else would be left there for later. When Misa was through with the landlord she would join Ann and help her put everything in Misa's car. They would then both go to the new apartment. Then Ann would call a moving company to come in and move all the rest of her things, such as her bed and furniture, later.

Twenty minutes after leaving Misa's place Ann arrived at her now old apartment. She parked her bike and killed the engine. She didn't take her helmet off until after she made sure no one was around. She left the helmet on her motorcycle and stepped into the elevator. The elevator ride went quicker than she expected. She had past experiences that tended to make that elevator ride up a bit awkward. Once at the top of the elevator Ann hesitantly walked up to her doors.

What if he didn't go with them to tail me?

She quietly jiggled the door handle to find it was locked. That made her feel a bit better as she unlocked it and opened the door. The apartment looked like it had been cleaned up a bit. The broken lamp had been picked up and all the discarded beer cans were absent. There were several new additions to the half empty pizza boxes that were now stacked neatly in the corner of the kitchen. However, there was also new evidence of broken glass scattered against the far wall. It looked to be the remains of a whiskey glass. The wall above the shattered glass was stained with a brown liquid. There was also a hole in the wall to her right.

That must have been the aftermath of my letter.

She stepped into the apartment and went straight for the stairway in her bedroom. Going downstairs she went to the table that held her sword on a stand. She stared at it a moment, her mind going blank. After a minute or two she reached out and picked up the sword. She also picked up the silver knife Joker had given her that she displayed on the same table. Putting the knife in her coat pocket she headed back up stairs.

She walked up the stairs into her bedroom and went to the closet. But she froze just after she passed her bedroom door.

She took a slow step back and looked out the door to see Joker leaning against the wall with his arms crossed several feet away from the door.

Eeep.

"Quite a nice decoy you had setup." He told her in a smooth voice before he pushed himself off the wall and started towards her. She pointed the end of the katana at him, still sheathed. "I don't have anything to say to you, apart from what I said in my letter." She told him, standing her ground. He paused in mid step. "Ah, your letter. I have a few 'choice' words to say about your letter." He told her. "I can imagine." She replied, making sure to keep the sword between them as he hovered in the doorway.

"We'll just get to that later, shall we?" He said as he put a finger on the end of the katana's sheath. He then gently began to push it to the side. She jerked on the handle and smacked his hand away. He gave her a look that said he was running out of patience. "Back to your decoy." He said as he leaned on the door frame, knowing it was her only way out. "You almost had me fooled. You wanna know how I figured you out?" He asked. "No." She told him. He faked a pout. "Awe, your not goinna play?" He asked stepping forward. "I'm sick of your games." She told him.

Her instincts were screaming at her to back up. But she held her ground anyway. "See," He continued anyway. "I almost fell for it, and probably would have. But then I realized something. Your just too smart to let me follow at all. Much less for the whole five minutes it took me to put it together. I realized that had you not wanted to be followed, which you surely didn't, that you would have simply gone out on foot, making it much harder for me to track you. So your stunt driver was obviously a trick." He told her as he pressed farther into the room. This time she was forced to back up in order to keep the katana between them.

"So what? Do I swoon over your 'superior' intelligence? Please, it was a simple diversion. Not nearly the big accomplishment your making it out to be. Now get out of my way." She told him and pushed him in the chest with the katana, hoping he would back out of the doorway.

He didn't budge. "Now, back to your letter…" "Screw you and screw this conversation. I'm leaving. Now move!" She yelled at him, hitting him forcefully in the chest with the end of the sheathed katana. This time he was pushed slightly off balance and was forced to take several steps back.

A frown appeared on his face. She had to admit, it was scary as hell seeing him scowl like that in his full 'Joker' make up and outfit. "Your not being very polite, love." He commented. "I'm through being polite. Your in my way." She told him angrily.

His scowl deepened. "I've just about lost my patience with you." He told her before grabbing the katana's hilt and attempting to yank it away. She automatically reacted by stepping back and pulling the katana from its sheath in a swift and fluid movement. She hadn't exactly meant to threaten him with the sharp blade of her sword, but she brandished it at him anyway. His eyebrows shot up slightly as the sharp blade hovered in the air between them. "I told you I'm done with this shit, and I'm done with you. Now move." She ordered. He glared at her, the wooden sheath still in his hand. "Not until you talk to me about this." He tried to reason. "I just want to talk."

"No, fuck you! You had your chance! There's nothing left to talk about Jak. You've made your motives clear enough for me."

"You can't beat me in a fight, love. Even if its sword versus sheath. You'll lose." He told her. "Besides, I don't think you'd really cut me. Even if I am in your way." And to demonstrate his point he reached out and grabbed the blade in his gloved hand. She glared daggers at him as he smirked down at her.

"Impeccable as always Jak. Except you forgot one little detail." She told him in a swooning voice. His eyes narrowed. "And what's that?" He asked. "You failed to realize that I'm through being your personal puzzle." With that she sharply yanked the blade from his hand. He hissed and jerked his hand back in pain. He curled his hand in a fist as droplets of blood started to flow from his palm and run off his ivory white gloves to drip onto the floor.

"So much for your theory." She muttered, glancing at the small smear of his blood where his hand had been on her sword.

He smirked as he looked at her over his bleeding hand before licking the wound. His next movement was almost too fast for her to catch. He swiftly raised her sheath to smack the hilt of her sword just below her hand. She tried to jump back from his attack but was too slow. A sharp sounding crack echoed and her hand screamed in pain as the katana clattered to the floor on the other side of the bed. In the same movement, he used her backwards momentum against her. The next second she was lying on her back on the bed with an angry Joker straddling her, keeping her hands and body pinned using the sheath.

Struggling would make no difference. With him pinning her to the mattress, there would be no way to get him off using force. But that didn't keep her from trying. "Get the hell off me!" She yelled at him, kicking her feet angrily. It only caused his smile to spread. "There was a time when you would have killed to be this close to me." He taunted. "I said get off!" she tried to knee him in the groin but she didn't have enough room. He giggled at her attempts.

Fear struck her as she realized she had the letter she had written to Bruce in her coat pocket. If Joker were to read it there would be no telling what he would do. She doubled her screaming and attempted to get free again.

There was suddenly a loud crack. His eyes went wide for a moment before he fell off her to roll off the bed and hit the floor with a thump. Startled she looked up to see Bruce standing at the foot of the bed with a baseball bat. Misa was behind him, looking worried. She ran to Ann, who was leaning up on her elbows on the bed, still speechless. "How- How did you know?" She asked, stunned. Bruce was leaning over watching Joker, still holding the bat. "Ashley called me when they stopped following her. I didn't know what else to do, so I called Bruce. I would have called Maroni, but he's at his work and it would have taken him twice as long to get here." She explained.

Ann eyed the bat in Bruce's hand. "That's not the weapon I would have thought you'd choose." She commented. "I gave it to him." Misa told her. "I insisted he use it." Ann rolled her eyes as she sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. "Are you okay?" He asked her as he offered his hand to help her up. She nodded as she accepted his help. "Gordon's on the way here." Bruce told her. She went back to being shocked. "You let him call the police?!" She asked Misa in disbelief. She shook her head. "I called Gordon. This has to stop." Misa told her.

"C'mon. He looks like he's out cold. Let's go sit in the other room and wait for Gordon." Bruce told her before putting an arm around her and guiding her to the living room.

Ann was sitting on the couch silently with her head in her hands while Bruce and Misa sat on either side of her when Gordon and his Swat team showed up a few minutes later.

Bruce pointed them to the bedroom when they arrived. A minute later several of Gordon's men came back through carrying a still unconscious Joker, in hand cuffs and ankle restraints. Seconds after that one of the men came in carrying her katana. Ann felt her anger spike at the thought of them taking it for evidence. She was about to voice this when Gordon asked her if he had assaulted her with it. She shook her head. "No. I tried to fight him off with it." She explained. Gordon seemed to sag in relief. "For a minute there I was afraid it was your blood." He mumbled. "So that's the Joker's blood?" Bruce asked, sounding slightly interested. Ann nodded, hands still covering her face.

"You should have that analyzed, Commissioner. It could help figure out who he really is." Bruce commented. Ann's head shot up to glare at him. "I refuse to let my katana be taken to some lab to be used as evidence in a trial that's never going to happen." She told the two of them. "What do you mean?" Misa asked beside her. "I mean, it's pointless. He's just going to escape. He probably already has. Take a damn blood sample and give me back my sword." She told them. Gordon frowned. "I can't just leave behind evidence, Ann. I'm sorry. But we have to take it." He told her. Her face went back in her hands. More to keep her annoyance under control than anything else.

Bruce put his arm around her back in an attempt to comfort her. After a moment she let him gently pull her against him in a hug where he held her. She was rigid at first, but after a moment she let herself lean against his shoulder. If he wanted to play the gallant hero, she'd let him. "I'll need the three of you to fill out a report." Gordon told them as he sat on the coffee table in front of Ann. "Of course, if you would rather wait until tomorrow that would be fine too." He told her. She pulled herself away from Bruce and nodded.

There was some static from Gordon's portable radio and he fiddled with it a moment. One of the other men poked his head around the corner. "Commissioner, I can't get Skives on the radio." He announced. Ann and Bruce both winced. They were both thinking the same thing. He got away.

Ann's prediction had been right. The Joker had apparently awoken in the back of the police car while it was on its way to the station. Only God knew how he did it. But even handcuffed and restrained in the back of a locked police car with grating and bullet proof plexi-glass he managed to kill both officers who were holding him in custody and disappear. And he had taken her katana. Ann was mortified.

After they received the news Gordon offered to let Ann stay at his house for the night. She graciously refused his offer. Or rather, Bruce graciously refused for her, insisting she stay at his mansion, which she also denied. He whispered that they'd talk about it later the next moment no one was paying attention. Even though he had quite possibly just saved her life, she still wished Misa had called anyone but him. She was grateful, but it ultimately made her decision that much harder to follow through with.

Obviously she couldn't stay there for the night, even though Gordon had offered to post officers in her home for protection. After half an hour of being surrounded by cops was about to drive her crazy. She could hardly imagine having to deal with them over night.

She needed to find a way to get away from Bruce. But with everything that had happened, she simply couldn't think. She was stressed, tired, her hand hurt like hell, and she was uncomfortable around so many people.

Misa was trying to help her, but there wasn't much she could do. They couldn't really speak in confidence because of so many people. And Bruce wasn't exactly leaving her side any time soon. Misa managed to tell her that she had already paid for the apartment when Bruce was talking to Gordon. So she had a place to stay. It was just a matter of getting there and ditching Bruce.

An idea sprung to the front of her thoughts as she watched Bruce converse with the police commissioner. She pulled out her cell phone and began flipping through the numbers she had stored in its memory. For a moment she feared the number she was looking for wasn't there. But a second later she found it. Bruce and Gordon were both so into their conversation, neither even noticed she had her phone out. Much less that she was sending a text message.

A few moments later Gordon's phone buzzed and he flipped on the screen. After shooting a glance Ann's way, then back to Bruce. "Ann, could I see you a moment in the kitchen?" He asked a bit hesitantly. She faked a worried look. "Okay, sure."

Once in the kitchen she leaned on the counter facing away from the others so no one could read her expression or try to figure out what she was saying. "I take it there's something you didn't want to share with the others?" He commented quietly. She nodded.

"I actually came here to get a few things that are special to me. I decided this morning that I need to kind of get off the grid for a while." She told him. He had a thoughtful look. "I see. And Mr. Wayne obviously isn't privy to this yet?" He asked, probably already knowing the answer. She nodded again. "Did something happen between the two of you? I honestly believe Wayne's mansion is probably one of the safest places in the entire city. And he does seem to be protective of you. There must be some reason you wish to leave." He prompted with a knowing look.

She couldn't help the slight blush that crept onto her face. And then she became annoyed with herself for blushing. His smile said he knew 'exactly' what had happened. "Things have gotten… complicated. And I'm not exactly sure what to do about it. I need time away from everything to think things out." She explained. He nodded again. "And you need to get away from Mr. Wayne to do it." He concluded. She smiled shyly and nodded her agreement. "I already have a new apartment that I just paid for. And only Misa and I know where it is. It's perfectly safe." She assured him. He seemed to think it over for a moment. "Okay. I'll help you. But on one condition." He told her. She had the sudden urge to bang her head against a wall. "What?" She asked. "I want the address so I can check on you." He told her. She sighed with annoyance. "Fine."

Without a moment of hesitation he waltzed back to the living room and pulled Bruce aside for a conversation. Bruce didn't look happy about whatever was being said. But he seemed to accept whatever Gordon was telling him. After a moment the conversation ended and Bruce waked to the kitchen to speak with Ann. He explained that Commissioner Gordon wanted to discuss some things with him and needed him to go to the station with him. He didn't look at all happy as he told her this. And he commented that Gordon had promised she would be protected.

Ann smiled at him. It was a fake smile. He probably mistook it for not wanting him to leave. But she nodded at him. "I'll be fine." He pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. Again he mistook the look of pain on her face as not wanting him to go. "I'll be back as soon as I'm done." He told her. Another fake smile. He turned to leave but she stopped him. "Bruce." He looked back at her. She hesitated, but then resigned herself. She couldn't turn back now. She had made her decision. She pulled the envelope from her coat pocket. "Read this later." She told him as she offered him the letter. He looked slightly confused as he took it. She gave him another fake smile. "Okay. I'll be back soon."

Gordon was waiting by the door and Bruce followed him out. All but two police officers left with them. The two who stayed waited in the elevator hall outside her door. Not like they would do much good if Joker did decide to come back. He'd already killed two who were in a cop car while he was all but chained and gagged in impossible circumstances. The illusion of security was nothing but an illusion.

As soon as the elevator door closed she sagged against the counter. Misa rushed over to her. "We don't have much time. If you want out of here before he reads that letter and comes back we'd better hurry." Ann nodded. She didn't know how much more of this crap she could take. Though technically she had never lied to him, she felt very bad about getting Gordon to trick him. It felt somehow significantly wrong deceiving Bruce like that.

Misa had already sprung into action, packing all the clothes she could find into a suitcase she had found in Ann's closet. Ann went to the freezer. Sure enough, she found the bottle of whiskey she'd been looking for. She went to the bedroom and tossed it into the suitcase. Misa gave her a look that said she wasn't happy about the alcohol. "Trust me. I'll need that later." Ann muttered as she descended the stairs. Now that she had Misa's car and a bit more time she decided to take her entire knife collection. She opened the case and began carefully picking out her collectable knives. By the time she carried them all up the stairs Misa had almost her entire collection of clothes in either the suitcase or plastic bags from the grocery store.

An also selected several of her favorite movies and books before pulling her flat screen off the wall and sliding it out into the hallway. No way in hell would she be deserted with nothing to do.

Once that was finished she helped Misa carry the various bags and boxes to the hall then locked the door behind her. The two cops that had stayed behind were giving the pile of bags and boxes a wary look. Ann smiled at them sweetly. She caught one give a sigh before they began loading up with her stuff. With their help they got everything down to Misa's car in one trip and had it loaded in just a few minutes.

After that she hopped on her bike and followed Misa to her second new apartment.

* * *

 

~Bruce~

It didn't take long for Bruce to realize that the police commission was stalling him for some reason or another. He was willing to bet it had something to do with Ann. After finally losing his patience with the man and leaving against his protests he tried her phone. It rang twice before going to voicemail. Meaning she didn't want to talk. When he made it to Ann's apartment only to find her bike gone he headed back to his mansion. No point bothering in going upstairs if she wasn't there.

Once back at his home he discovered she wasn't there either. He had figured she would come back just so she could have some place to hold up and be alone with herself. She had obviously found another place to comfort herself. It was odd. He was hoping to be the one to comfort her. He tried her phone again and got the same response. Then he remembered her letter.

He pulled out the letter and began to read her so carefully chosen words. The paper crumpled in his hands before falling to the floor.

To be continued....

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read the sequel
> 
> Broken: The Unyielding Beast 
> 
> Thanks for following me


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